No One Heard Me Scream
by FMB
Summary: Gilbert is trapped in the horrible nightmares of a traumatic experience in his childhood and suffering from the recent death of a family member.However,he meets a beautiful and optimistic young man who proves to be able to turn his life upside-down.PruCan
1. Introduction

The poll I had posted on my page demanded I write PruCan next, so here we go! A whole, multi-chapter story of Prussia and Canada! Mind you, I don't think I'll be catching Prussia's personality as well, so I'll need a lot of criticism on how to make him more AWESOME and such. Thank you for your time.

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><p><em>I was in that room again, when everything was on fire. I could feel the throbbing pain in my leg from the chunk of wood. I looked down at my body, seeing my old blue pajamas that was sprinkled with fire trucks. I was yelling for help, tucked into the corner of the apartment room that wasn't my own. Everything was ablaze. Even the ceiling burned from the flames. I kept screaming, and I figured I was screaming for a fire fighter to come and save me, but I felt like that was wrong. I couldn't remember if it was true or not, so I went with logic. I could hear the boots of the firemen thundering up and down the hallways, and I screamed louder.<em>

_ 'Help!' me, 'Help' me, 'please!' I would scream, but my pleas went unheard by the phantoms on the other side of the door. The smoke was getting into my chest, and I started heaving for air._

_ 'Please, someone help!' me._

_ I…. I don't want to die…._

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><p>His body jerked, his chest arching into the air and his eyes bulging. His fingers dug into the sheets beneath him and his toes curled in tightly as he struggled to draw in a breath, but his diaphragm wouldn't obey. Finally, when he thought he was going to expire from the lack of oxygen, his lips parted and he sucked in the biggest gasping breath he could. Tears stung the corners of his eyes and his body relaxed. His chest was heaving as he panted, slowly recovering from the nightmare he had been having since he was a child.<p>

When his frenzied gasps slowed into a relaxed breath, he pulled himself up into a sitting position and rubbed his temple roughly. He hated that dream so much. He'd done almost everything to try and stop it from coming. He had gone three days without sleeping once, but right when he shut his eyes on the third night, he slipped into the horrible nightmare that was his childhood. He peeked over at the fluorescent clock on his nightstand, then groaned when the numbers read 2:30 AM. He knew he wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon, so he forced himself up and into the bathroom in the hallway, twisting the knobs until a steady stream came down from the faucet above. As he waited for the water to become warm, he grabbed his cell phone from his bedroom, hidden under the pillows, and he slunk back into the bathroom, tossing a towel onto the counter and slipping out of his night pants. When he was naked, he stepped into the shower with his cell phone, ignoring the fact that it was getting drenched as he stood under the falling water.

He began dialing a number he knew by heart now, pressing the green call button and pressing the phone against his ear. The phone rang three times, and when it was about to ring a fourth, the other person picked up the phone and let out a tired sigh.

"Hello?" He mumbled, sniffing and sighing again. The caller ran his fingers through his damp hair and stayed silent, listening to the man on the other end grumbling from being woken up.

"Are you in the shower again? You ruined your last phone like this, you know!" The man scolded, and the caller chuckled lowly, closing his eyes and sighing.

"It's okay." He replied, and the other sighed again.

"So, what's the matter? Another dream?"

"Yeah."

"Are you going to tell me about it this time?"

"No."

"Gilbert…." The man said sadly, and the albino could sense the pleading in his voice.

"I'm not going to." He repeated, turning in the shower to let the water hit his chest and heat up his body.

"Why do you call, then?"

"Because I need someone to talk to."

"Talk to your brother."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because he's my brother."

"So?"

"So, that'd be like talking to a wall. A wall with a face. They make those, you know. Really creepy, but it's pretty awesome at the same time. Oh, so I was on youtube the other day, and-"

"Gilbert, you're getting off topic again." The man interjected, and the albino groaned lightly.

"I don't want to talk to my brother." Gilbert punctuated, leaning against the cold tile wall and watching the steam float from his biceps.

"It might help you."

"It won't."

"How do you know?" Gilbert fell silent and he stared at the floor of the tub. The man on the other end waited patiently as Gilbert thought about whatever he was thinking about. The albino slowly slid down to a sitting position at the bottom of the tub, curling his legs to his chest and allowing the water to make a waterfall from his nose. He continued thinking about it silently, but found himself bored of thinking. He tilted his head back and let out a breathy but fake moan, making the man at the other end splutter nonsense.

"Gilbert, stop that!" The man scolded, but Gilbert let out another moan, smirking to himself from hearing his acquaintance stammer. "Dammit, boy, when I get out of jail-"

"Kesesese, come on, I'm just having a little fun." Gilbert interjected, not wanting to hear what this Frenchman might claim to do at the moment, "Hey, why are you in jail again?"

"I told you, tax fraud." The man replied, and Gilbert snorted.

"Tax fraud my ass. Tell me the real reason why you're in jail."

"Gilbert." The man said sternly, and the blond giggled to himself and hugged his knees. He always believed this stranger-but-not-so-much-of-a-stranger to have been put in jail for rape or molestation or something, since the guy would always relate things to sex or love.

"What kind of crappy jail are you in, anyway? Why'd they let you be a phone therapist person?" Gilbert questioned next, and the man sighed again.

"Well, these people like us to busy ourselves with jobs. I chose this job because I didn't think there would be much work." He muttered sourly, and Gilbert chuckled again. He knew he was one of the most frequent callers, on account of his dreams and sudden lapses in reality, but he also knew that he and this prisoner were on pretty good terms by now. Hell, the man told Gilbert to call him whenever. Which the albino happily did.

"Alright, well, you called because of your nightmare, so just talk to me about it." The man tried to coax out of the teenager, but Gilbert mocked him in a whiney voice in response.

"I'm not going to. I'm too awesome to talk about it." The platinum blond said stubbornly, running his fingers through his hair again. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting the water pour down over his face as he did. When he opened his eyes again, he caught sight of a thick fog drift past his face, and his brain shut off completely. He started panting and gasping, and all he could see now were flames and smoke. The sound of heavy boots a distance away, and the shrill whining of the smoke alarm blaring.

"N-no…" Gilbert winced out, his leg throbbing, but he couldn't look down to see why. His eyes were trained on the door across the room that the flames danced around teasingly.

"…bert….."

"H-help…" Gilbert wheezed out, breaking out into a sweat as the flames grew higher and crawled closer.

"…ilbert…!"

Gilbert's eyes were wide as he watched the flames engulf the floor in front of him, reaching out far enough to tickle his toes and burn away the walls around him. He opened his mouth to let out a cry as the flames gripped onto his calves, his eyes squeezing shut from pain.

"GILBERT!" The man over the phone yelled, making red eyes snap open to find himself in the steamy shower he began in. He was still panting, but he was able to breathe much better now.

"Are you okay?" The voice rang out, panicked and hasty.

"Y-yeah…" Gilbert panted, looking around to make sure there were no fires around and no smoke coming from under the door. Then he swallowed hard, and began shaking his head, "No… no, I'm not alright… This isn't awesome…"

"I know, I know it's not awesome, Gilbert. Focus on your breathing. Remember what you were taught." The man instructed, and Gilbert nodded and took in a slow breath. He held it for a few seconds, then slowly let it out through his mouth. The man on the other end was mumbling soothing words as Gilbert breathed, and soon the albino found himself lightheaded and a little dizzy.

"Francis…" He muttered, and the man stopped talking, "I was in the apartment. It wasn't mine, and I don't remember how I got there, but I was sitting in the corner, and there were flames _everywhere_, and I was screaming and screaming but no one came. I could hear them going down the halls, too! They were just outside the door, and they couldn't hear me!" He said quickly, pulling himself out of the shower and wrapping the thick towel around him. He stumbled into his bedroom and threw himself on the bed, ditching the towel and instead tugging the comforter up and around his shoulders.

"Apartment? Flames? Is this your dream?" Francis asked carefully, and Gilbert was about to answer, but he stopped and thought about it. As he thought, he could hear Francis asking if the albino was still there, but he still didn't reply.

"Uh….." Gilbert muttered, letting his voice drag out, then he turned it into a laugh, "No, no, I was just reading from a book." He lied with a laugh in his voice, pulling the blankets over his head.

"But… you were in the shower." Francis tried reasoning, but Gilbert snorted at the comment.

"Come on, I take my phone in the shower, so I would also take books in the shower, too." Gilbert explained, and Francis let out a low sigh.

"Will you read me more of the book, then? It sounds interesting." Francis suggested, but Gilbert knew he was just trying to trick him into telling him more of the dream.

"Maybe some other time, I'm going to go back to bed." Gilbert replied lamely, rolling onto his back whilst under the blankets.

"We both know you won't be able to sleep any longer tonight." Francis noted, and Gilbert scoffed.

"How come you know so much about me, hmm?" Gilbert asked slyly, closing his eyes and holding the phone against his left ear.

"Because you call me almost every night." Francis replied frankly, and Gilbert laughed at how true it was.

"Only because you're a good fake therapist." Gilbert pointed out, and Francis chuckled this time. Then, Gilbert rolled onto his left side and trapped the phone between his ear and the pillow, "Now, why are you really in jail?"

"I'm not going to-" Francis stopped and thought about it, "Hmm… will you tell me part of your dreams if I tell you?"

Gilbert smirked, "Sure!" He said, but wasn't actually going to. He figured Francis knew this, and didn't expect it when the man let out an annoyed sigh and said, "I was jailed for attempted rape."

"Oh- I knew it!" Gilbert almost shrieked out, squirming under his sheets as he celebrated his success.

"Gil- ah, Gilbert, I was kidding!" Francis quickly said, cutting the blonde's dance break short and making the teen grumble.

"Oh, what? Unawesome." Gilbert whined, and Francis laughed loudly.

"Did you really think I would be caught for attempted rape?" Francis snorted out, and Gilbert raised a brow.

"Oh, so you _have_ attempted to rape someone before, you just weren't caught?" Gilbert asked, and Francis started spluttering again.

"That's not what I meant!" Francis said quickly, and Gilbert chuckled to himself, happy he got a little piece of revenge. "I'm serious, though, I'm in here for tax fraud. You could ask one of the guards."

"Nah, I'll keep pretending you were jailed for the kidnap, rape, and murder of some teenage girl or something." Gilbert rejected the offer, getting a low chuckle out of the inmate. They continued talking about possible reasons for Francis to have been jailed, and after a while, Gilbert heard the faint sound of a shower being turned on. He frowned and checked the time.

"Oh, man, it's six already? I have to go, I only get free minutes until six thirty." Gilbert said, and Francis made a noise of agreement.

"Hey, when you call me back, I want to hear some of your dreams, okay?" Francis tried, but Gilbert just laughed and hung up, shoving his phone under the pillow and closing his eyes, forcing his breath to be slow and relaxed to pretend he was sleeping. He knew his brother's timing on everything, and just like every other morning, Ludwig quietly opened the door and peeked in, grunting softly when he saw his brother 'sleeping'. The door closed again, and Gilbert cracked an eye open.

He dug under his pillows and tugged his phone out, checking the calendar to find it was November 23rd. Tomorrow was an important day for the albino, and soon it'd be an important day for the rest of the family too. Gilbert sat up in his bed, locking his phone and placing it on the nightstand. Then, he stood and started dressing himself, throwing on a comfortable black t-shirt and some purple jeans. Ludwig called them skinny jeans, but Gilbert didn't think so. They were just… nicely fitted, that's all.

When he heard his brother get out of the shower, Gilbert quickly fixed his hair, then padded down the hallway and into the kitchen, digging through the refrigerator for a quick breakfast of bread and butter. As he swiped the wheat bread through the deep tub of _I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!_, Ludwig quickly walked down the hall, turning the corner to spot his thin and older brother stuffing the slice into his mouth and run for the door. Ludwig chased after him, trying to reach the door first, but Gilbert had the advantage, and he was already down the street by the time Ludwig got to the exit.

"Damn, that was close!" Gilbert chortled to himself, peeking over his shoulder and panting, looking at the house at the other end of the street that he had just exited out of. He and his brother did this every morning, and he knew Ludwig hated it, but what else was Gilbert to do? Sit there and let the blond interrogate him day after day? He'd much rather be trapped in the cage of a polar bear than sit with his brother for ten minutes.

The albino walked down the empty streets silently, admiring the sky as the sun slowly drifted to the treetops, breaching the edges of the houses to shine its glory on the world. By the time the rest of the citizens of this quaint town awoke, Gilbert arrived at his best friend's house, trotting up to the front door and knocking loudly. He took a step back, waiting impatiently on the porch as he heard a woman yell out in Spanish and a man yell in return.

"Ay dios mío, yo se, mamá, yo se!" The voice yelled out, and soon the locks on the door jiggled and clicked as they were unlocked. When the door swung open, Gilbert was greeted by a skinny brunette teen his age with shining green eyes and a bored expression on his face.

"Finally! Let's go!" The brunette sighed out, grabbing Gilbert's arm and tugging him away from the house, slamming the door closed.

"Family issues?" Gilbert snorted, and other nodded his head, looking completely worn out.

"Mi madre is always telling me what to do! Antonio, lava los platos! Antonio, hace tu cama! Antonio, lava el gato! Antonio, Antonio, Antonio! On and on and on!" Antonio complained, stomping his feet and speaking in a shrill, high-pitched voice to mimic his mother. Gilbert just laughed and walked beside the Spaniard, watching him mock his mother.

"Well, how have you been lately, amigo? You look tired." Antonio asked, sticking his hands in his pockets and frowning, "Talk to your hermano at all?"

"No way, definitely not." Gilbert chuckled, shaking his head and putting his hands behind his head as he walked down the sidewalk, "I've been avoiding him like the plague!"

"You really shouldn't, you know." Antonio sighed, and Gilbert shrugged and kept walking.

"You don't know what you're talking about." He retorted flatly, making the Spaniard narrow his eyes and cross his arms.

"Que dices? I know enough about family deaths to know that tu y tu hermano really need some time to talk!" Antonio scolded, but Gilbert rolled his eyes at him, then gave him his winning smile.

"He'll be fine! That guy's built like a rock!" The albino proclaimed, thumping a fist against his puffed out chest to emphasize his point.

"Any rock will roll if their father was the one who died." Antonio muttered, and Gilbert's smile died on his lips, and he slouched over again as he walked, sticking his hands in his pockets. They stayed silent as they walked, and soon they reached a small Mexican restaurant, where Antonio worked.

"I'm not going to force you to talk to your brother, but I really think you should." Antonio finally said, putting his hands on his hips, "Who knows? Maybe you'll feel better afterwards." With that said, the brunette turned and pushed through the doors, entering in a chorus of 'Hola!'s and 'bienvenido!'

Gilbert sighed to himself, then continued walking, heading for his own place of work. He worked at a horribly placed magazine and newspaper stand. The only reason why he decided to take the job was because he knew he wouldn't get many customers. The only people who came to purchase anything were either small children looking for some candy, or older gentlemen, interested in the newspapers that they really shouldn't be making anymore. When he arrived at the run-down cardboard-looking stand, he dug out his keys and pushed open the door in the side, stepping in and locking himself inside.

"The awesome me is here!" He called out in the small four by two foot area, obviously getting no response in return. He just patted the chair that rested in the far end of the stand, then organized the shelves, and finally opened the window where he sold the different items. He plopped down in his seat, digging his phone out of his pockets and flipping it open to find two messages. One was from Antonio, and the other was from Ludwig.

'I'll bring some tacos and tortas over during lunch, so don't go anywhere.' Antonio sent him, making the albino smile and his stomach grumbled impatiently.

'Whatever the fuck a torta is, it better be awesome and delicious!' Gilbert sent back happily, chuckling to himself. Then he checked his brother's message, his smile dying as he opened it.

'We need to talk.' Was all Ludwig sent him, and the albino groaned and rolled his head back. He really didn't want to talk to his brother at the moment. Their ways of dealing with death were so different, and he knew that was what they would end up talking about. He let out a sigh and looked back at his buzzing phone, seeing a new message from Antonio.

'Torta! A sandwich? It's muy bueno!' the text read, and Gilbert snorted.

"You better-o bring-o me-o some-o horchata, too!" He sent back immediately, teasing his Spanish friend playfully. He didn't get a quick response like usual, so he put his phone on the counter in front of the register and leaned back in his seat, letting out a comfortable sigh.

People started walking by as the sun went up, and Gilbert just watched them lazily, checking his phone for the time and to see if he had gotten any messages from Antonio. Soon, when the sun was almost at the highest point, there was knocking on the door. Gilbert smiled and unlocked the metal door, swinging it open for his tanned friend.

"Lo siento, el jefe told me to put the phone away." Antonio apologized, placing the bag of food on the counter along with a chilled plastic cup of horchata.

"Your boss is definitely unawesome." Gilbert snorted out, snatching the horchata and slurping down the contents. "Gott, why do you Latinos get delicious drinks? The only god-like drink we Germans have is beer!"

Antonio simply rolled his eyes and plopped down on the counter which was still quite uncomfortable, since it only supported half of his ass. He pulled the bag on his lap and pulled out two Styrofoam containers, opening one, then passing it to the albino who was trying to drown himself in the rice-milk drink.

"Here's your torta." Antonio said, getting a confused look from Gilbert as he grabbed the container. The Spaniard sighed and rolled his eyes again, "Your _sandwich!_" He clarified, and Gilbert nodded and flipped open the top, looking in to see thick bread filled with steaming red meat.

"Wow, this looks heavy! Awesome, it weighs as much as my bird!" Gilbert snorted, picking up the dripping sandwich and taking a huge bite out of it. Because of the size, though, it seemed as if only a miniscule amount of sandwich had been bitten off.

"You still have a bird? I thought it would be dead by now!" Antonio admitted with wide eyes as he dug into his own sandwich.

"What? Why would the awesome me kill my bird?" Gilbert snorted, shoving more food into his mouth, but his jaw simply couldn't open any wider.

"Well, you never feed it, amigo." Antonio pointed out, and Gilbert thought about it and shrugged.

"You know, it might be dead. I don't hear it chirping as often…" Gilbert reflected, leaning back in his chair and humming, "Well, it was an awesome bird. I'll bury it when I get home."

"Whoa! Oh, uh, I don't think you need to bury it anymore." Antonio nearly choked, a surprised look on his face. Gilbert arched a curious brow, but he kept his smile.

"Really? Why is that?" Gilbert asked with interest, forcing more sandwich down his throat as he watched Antonio's bewildered face.

"Well, your bird…. It's on your shoulder." The Spaniard pointed out, lifting his finger to point at the little yellow bird that was happily nestled on its owner's shoulder. Gilbert looked down, his own surprised face showing through.

"So it is! Awesome, I knew you were a clever little bird!" Gilbert chuckled, wiggling his finger at the peeping bird, making it nibble lightly on his finger. Antonio chuckled lightly and shook his head in disbelief. Gilbert begun feeding the bird some of the meat from the sandwich.

"Are you sure he should be eating that?" Antonio questioned, and the albino shrugged honestly and chuckled.

"He likes it, so it must mean its okay." Gilbert reasoned, feeding the bird some more. The yellow puff of feathers tweeted happily, fluttering up and perching itself in the nest of silver hair. Antonio's phone began buzzing, and the Spaniard groaned and flipped the red Verizon brand open, clicking a few buttons before scanning over the screen with bored eyes.

"Dios, you should really start talking to your hermano! He's starting to text me now!" Antonio whined, holding up the phone to Gilbert's scrunched up face, letting the albino read the text.

'I know you're with my brother, or at least should be with him, so tell him we need to talk.' The message read, and red eyes rolled.

"Ignore him." Gilbert waved the question away, turning his attention back to his pet bird.

"If I ignore him, he'll keep texting me! I'm going to tell him I'll talk to you about it." Antonio sighed, holding the phone close to his face and replying to Ludwig. Gilbert just huffed and sunk back in his chair, watching people walk by his stand with a cold eye. They ate in silence, Antonio constantly texting one person or another.

"Hey, I'm going to head back to work now, before mi jefe finds out I left. I'll see you later, okay?" Antonio said, hopping off the miniature counter and tossing his Styrofoam container in the small trash bin under said counter.

"I'll see you after work." Gilbert replied with a yawn, moving his hands behind his head and almost knocking his bird off in the process. The beast squawked angrily, fluttering its wings to keep its balance, giving the albino a rough peck to his crown.

Gilbert just ignored the bird, staring out to the street, eyes gliding over the almost empty roads and the old and crumbling buildings. He knew the one just across from his was a business of some sort, and the tall, rusted looking building to the left of it was an apartment complex, but the rest of the architecture didn't seem to register.

As he looked around, he saw a boy with blond hair dressed in a brown jumper and some blue jeans stepping onto the sidewalk, a bag slung across his chest and over his shoulder as he walked. He was far away, but he was definitely a looker. Gilbert tilted his head, trying to think if he saw this kid before. He didn't go to school anymore, so he wouldn't know if this kid was new or not.

The blond soon left Gilbert's sight, and he grew bored of thinking about him. He went back to his half-eaten sandwich, wolfing down the rest of it. He fed a decent amount to his bird, too, and soon the both of them were face down on the counter, filled to the brim and in need of a long nap.

Gilbert groaned and lifted his head, just to check the time on his digital wrist-watch. It was already six, so he could close up shop without getting yelled at. The last thing he needed was to get fired from the only thing that kept him away from Ludwig during the day. As he closed up shop, he whipped out his cell phone to alert his Spanish friend that he would be coming by to pick him up. His bird was sleeping on the top of the albino's head, almost snoring as it snoozed.

Gilbert hurried over to the restaurant, reaching the double glass doors just as the sun sank below the houses. Antonio stepped out of the restaurant with a black backpack slug across his shoulder, and he smiled at his friend.

"To my house, or are we going _out_ tonight?" Antonio asked, winking at the man who walked beside him. Gilbert's brows raised, and he tilted his head to look at the bag. He returned Antonio's smirk, and the Spaniard quickly dug through his bag and tossed a purple can of spray paint at the blond.

"Just one condition. We have to tag a particular wall with the restaurant's logo." Antonio brought up, making his partner in crime groan.

"There's always a condition! How unawesome!" He complained, but they headed off anyway, tagging wall after wall with their personal insignias. Antonio's was a big, red tomato with his country's coat of arms in the background. Gilbert's insignia was a black eagle with its wings spread, a crown floating above its head and a sword and staff in its claws. This was their only time to relax, and they would take as long as they needed.

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><p>Yeah, so please help me figure out how to make Gilbert more Gilbert-ish.<p> 


	2. At The Funeral

Too Lazy To Login, Come on, I'm not that evil xD Let me get a little further with the plot before you make assumptions like that! I don't really like making the characters going nuts.

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><p>Okay guys, thank you for telling me how to improve Gil's personality to make him more Gilbert-ish! I'll try incorporating arrogance and energy within the story by the next chapter! Sorry that this one is so long, by the way! Got a little carried away xD<p>

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><p>Gilbert sighed as he climbed the rain pipe that hung from the side of his house, up to his bedroom window. When he arrived at the second story window, he grabbed the pane and tried pushing the glass up, but it wouldn't budge. He groaned and peeked in, noticing a piece of paper on the table right beside the window.<p>

'Come in through the front door or sleep outside.'

It was Ludwig's handwriting, and Gilbert knew from experience that Ludwig wasn't joking about sleeping outside. He slid down the drain, landing on his feet like a gymnast, then stepping around to the backdoor. When he reached the hideous white door, he grasped the brass handle and yanked, only to find it locked. Gilbert whined again, feeling drained from all the tagging he and Antonio did that night and just wanting to go to bed.

The albino heard a soft tweeting and looked over to see his yellow pet bird hovering beside a note taped to the wall.

'Not getting in through here. Come through the front.'

"Dammit, West…" Gilbert grumbled, rubbing his drooping eyes and giving in. He stepped through the gate that led to the driveway, walking around the garage and stopping at the front door. He gave the door a gentle tug, sliding it open with ease. His bird darted into the house, twittering happily and finding a spot to sleep.

Gilbert looked around cautiously, not finding anyone in the kitchen directly to the left of the door, nor in the living room, directly to the right. He stepped in and quietly stepped into the dining room which sat just across from the stairs. The lights flicked on, and there sat Ludwig, arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"Where have you been?" He questioned, making the albino stop and look over at him. Gilbert sighed and knew he had been trapped, and he didn't feel like having a wrestle match at the moment, so instead he slunk over to the table and sat opposite of his blond brother. Red eyes met blue, then turned down to the oak table.

"I went out with Antonio." Gilbert answered honestly, shrugging his shoulders, "Look, West, I'm tired, can we just do this tomorrow?"

"No. We need to talk." Ludwig said, ignoring the nickname his older brother gave him, "Gilbert, I know our ways with coping are… different, but we have to try. Neither of us can get through this alone."

"Yeah, well, neither of us would have to if he didn't leave all the time." Gilbert snorted, glaring at the table. He didn't really think that, but he was tired and unhappy, and he would say anything to go to bed at this point.

"Don't blame him! Someone swerved into his lane! It wasn't his fault!" Ludwig quickly defended their father, slamming a hand down on a table to emphasize his views. Gilbert was caught off guard by the loud noise, jumping and frowning at his younger brother. He hadn't realized until now, probably because he had been doing so much to try and hide from this horrible truth, but his younger brother, the brother that was usually as tough as a diamond and showed no emotion or mercy, was _crying._

Ludwig's face wasn't contorted into sadness, and his brows weren't arched upwards as he cried. He glared at Gilbert instead, his mouth set in a straight line as the tears tumbled down his cheeks, curling inwards on his chin, and finally letting go and splattering across the table.

"West… Don't cry…" Gilbert tried to comfort his brother of fourteen, but the blond turned his head away and practically swatted the tears away, looking ashamed and embarrassed that he had been crying, but still angry nonetheless.

"It's… just not fair." Ludwig grumbled and Gilbert shifted in his seat, leaning forward and resting his arms on the table.

"C-Come on, not everything's fair. It's unawesome, but it's true. Uh… I know! Let's crack open some beers!" Gilbert suggested, making Ludwig sigh and glare at the table again.

"I'm underage, Brother." Ludwig pointed out, but such things were trivial to Gilbert, who pushed his chair back and swaggered into the kitchen, tugging the fridge door open and grasping two ice-cold beers, popping them open with the edge of the counter top. When he plopped back into his seat, he slid one beer over to the still-crying Ludwig, who caught the glass bottle and sighed.

"Cheers?" Gilbert rose in glass questioningly, getting a blank stare from his brother. Ludwig glanced at the brown bottle held high in the air, then sighed and lifted his own, clacking the two together in an echoing 'ting' noise, sipping his beer with a look of interest and disgust at the same time.

"You get used to it." Gilbert said with a shrug, pouring more of the golden life-source past his lips. They drank silently for a while, staring at the ceiling or the table, but never looking directly at each other.

Then, when their drinks were almost empty, Ludwig rested his arms on the table, folding them over each other, then he placed his chin on top.

"Why did it have to be our dad? Why couldn't it have been someone else's?" Ludwig grumbled, turning the bottle slowly on the table as he read the label. Gilbert shrugged and got two more beers, placing Ludwig's beside his elbow before sitting back down.

"Maybe he was just too awesome and the world couldn't handle him anymore?" Gilbert threw out, and they both chuckled at the idea. Ludwig began drinking his beer along with Gilbert, and they stayed silent for a few more sips.

"I miss him too." Gilbert muttered, making his brother look up at him in confusion. Gilbert kept his eyes on the floor, though, not wanting to look into Ludwig's sad face.

"… What are we going to do now?" Ludwig asked, sitting upright and looking at his half-filled bottle. "Our only source of income is you, now."

"I know." Gilbert grumbled, sipping more alcohol and sighing, "I'll try to find a better job."

"I'll look for one, too." Ludwig mentioned and they both nodded silently.

"Do you think he left us any money?" Gilbert asked next, and Ludwig thought about it, letting more alcohol run down his throat.

"I wouldn't count on it." Ludwig said honestly. They both knew their family wasn't particularly rich, and they didn't think their father would be the kind of man to have life insurance. When they both finished their second beers, Gilbert rounded up the glasses and tossed them in the recycling bin, going back to the table to push his chair in.

"I'm going to bed." He announced, yawning to prove his point. As he headed up the stairs, Ludwig stood from his seat and looked at the stairs.

"Brother!" He called out, pushing his chair in and going over to the bottom step, looking up to see Gilbert standing at the top, one hand on the railing. He was looking over his shoulder, down at the blond who called out to him.

"What is it?" He asked boringly, rubbing one of his eyes and squinting the other.

"I thought I heard you talking to someone this morning. On the phone. Is… Is everything alright?" He asked, and Gilbert's eyes widened, but only slightly.

"Ja." Gilbert muttered, "Everything's… Everything's okay." He answered, then walked up the rest of the steps and headed towards his bedroom, closing the door behind him and frowning. He whipped out his cell phone and dialed France's number, going over to the window to unlock it. He leaned out the window and pressed the phone to his ear, hearing it ring. When he thought it would go to voicemail, the phone beeped and a tired voice rang out.

"Bonjour?" Francis called out, yawning a little at the end. Gilbert let out a sigh.

"I talked to West." Gilbert said, getting an interested noise from the Frenchman.

"About your father?" Francis asked, and Gilbert went from his window to the bed, laying down on his back.

"Kind of. But it was… it was okay…" Gilbert admitted, making Francis chuckle.

"Bonne! I told you to talk to him! See how right I am?" Francis cheered happily, and Gilbert smiled a little.

"I guess." He muttered, making the Frenchman scoff.

"You _guess_! I was right, mon ami!" Francis cried, "Now, will you tell me the rest of your dream?"

Gilbert frowned and rolled onto his stomach, hiding his face in the pillow, "No. It's not awesome."

"I know, but you need to get it off your chest, Gilbert." Francis tried, but the German boy scoffed and stayed silent, closing his eyes. "Gilbert, I know you're still there, so listen to me, okay? I'm here to help you. This is why you call me all the time, right? You want my help. I can only help you, though, if you tell me what you've been dreaming about."

"Hey, Francis, when were you arrested?" Asked Gilbert out of curiosity, moving his head so the phone was caught between his ear and the pillow, "And was it really for tax fraud?"

"I was arrested a while ago, and oui, it was for tax fraud." Francis sighed, sounding annoyed that Gilbert still refused to tell him his dream.

"When will you be out?" Gilbert continued, closing his eyes again and rubbing his hands together.

"I don't know. I'll be in here for a long time. Ten years maybe." Francis answered, making Gilbert frown and sit up.

"Whoa, wait a minute, you can't be in jail that long for tax fraud! Unawesome, don't lie to me!" Gilbert quickly hissed, and Francis let out another sigh.

"Well, I am, so let's leave it at that, non?" Francis suggested, and Gilbert's anger vanished. His shoulder slumped, then he fell back onto the bed, playing with his hair in a bored manner.

"Yeah, okay." He said, closing his eyes, "I dunno, I don't want to tell you my dream yet."

"So you will tell it to me eventually?" Francis pried, sounding hopeful to be able to help.

"I dunno! I'm going to sleep. G'night, Frenchie." Gilbert yawned, keeping the phone against his ear for a little longer.

"Bonne nuit. I hope the funeral goes well." He offered his condolences, and they both hung up.

"How would a funeral go well? Funerals aren't awesome…" Gilbert grumbled to himself, tucking the phone beneath his pillow and forcing himself to sleep. He didn't wake as his bedroom door opened, a miniscule streak of light from the hallway cutting the bed in half, grazing over the boy's face.

Ludwig peered in, frowning to himself. He was sure he heard his brother talking on the phone, too. To someone named Francis. Ludwig quietly stepped into the room, gently sliding his hand beneath the pillow his brother's head was resting on. When he grasped the phone, he pulled it out quietly and flipped it open; pressing the green button to find that the only person he seemed to have called for the past week has been listed under 'Francis Bonnefoy'. Ludwig glanced down at Gilbert, then replaced the phone and snuck back out. He didn't know who this Francis guy was, but he was determined to find out.

* * *

><p><em>I was laying in my bed, pet bird in both hands. He wouldn't stop fidgeting, though, and eventually, he flew out through the window, twittering nervously. I thought nothing of it and closed my eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep in my fire truck pajamas. I was almost about to dream when the fire alarm begun blaring. I didn't know what to do, and I stayed in my bed, sitting upright and looking around. The room was a blur, and the only piece of furniture that really stood out to me was my cabinet.<em>

_ The floor began to shake and smoke started to seep through the floorboards and from under the door. I heard a shriek, and I felt my mouth hanging open, but I didn't know if I was the one who was screaming. I shut my eyes tightly, and when I opened them, I found myself on the floor of a different apartment, flames dancing in every corner of the room. My leg was stinging again, and when I glanced down, I saw the thick splinter of wood sticking out of his leg, blood pooling everywhere._

_ I began crying out for help again, my screams being swallowed by the sound of crackling wood and the high-pitched wailing of the fire alarm. The boots of the firemen running up and down the hallways echoed throughout the burning room I was in._

_ "Someone save her!" I cried, sobbing vocally. I was trying to crawl to the door, but the pain in my leg was too much to bear. "Someone, please!" I continued to shriek, but no one came to help._

_But… I wasn't alone…?_

* * *

><p>He awoke calmly this time, eyes blinking open and he stared up at the ceiling. He was breathing normally, and he slowly looked over at the clock. It was four in the morning, meaning he only got two hours of sleep. He dug through his pillows, grabbing his cell phone and dialing Francis' number. He held the phone against his ear as it rang, and just as it was about to hit four rings, Francis answered.<p>

"Bonjour, Gilbert." He sighed out, obviously being woken up a second time that night.

"There was someone else there." Gilbert said first, keeping his eyes on the ceiling. Francis made a confused noise, then sighed.

"Where?" He asked with interest.

"In the apartment. With the flames. There was someone else there." Gilbert explained, staying perfectly still as he spoke.

"In your dream?" Francis asked next, and Gilbert stopped and sat up, holding the phone to his ear.

"Francis…" He muttered, staring into the sheets. His heart was racing now as the realization slowly came over him, "My dad's funeral is today…"

"Will you be okay?" Francis asked, sounding concerned for the boy. "I think it will be a nice form of closure."

"Closure… Right… Awesome…" He muttered, slowly getting out of bed, "I'm… going to take a shower…"

"Quoi? And you are not taking me with you?" Francis asked in surprise as Gilbert stepped out of his room and into the hallway.

"Are you kidding me? Of course you're coming with me!" Gilbert snorted, pushing open the bathroom door. Before he stepped in, though, he heard his brother's bedroom door open. Ludwig peeked out of his room and raised a curious brow.

"Gilbert? Who are you talking to so early in the morning?" Ludwig asked, stepping out of his bedroom.

"Huh? Oh, my therapist." Gilbert answered, lifting the phone slightly, but keeping it against his ear, "I'm gunna take a shower now. What? No, it's just West."

Gilbert stepped into the bathroom, leaving a very confused and very concerned looking German in his wake, stepping back into his bedroom. He went straight to his laptop, typing in the name 'Francis Bonnefoy'.

Gilbert, on the other hand, was busy stripping and turning on the shower, still holding his phone to his ear.

"Do you have any idea of who could be with you in this apartment of fire?" Francis question Gilbert, who was slowly opening up to his phone therapist.

"I don't know." Gilbert admitted, sitting down in the tub and letting the water fall onto his head. His cell phone was once again suffering water damage, but it powered through the constant torture. "It was a girl. A woman. I said… 'Someone save her.'"

"Do you think it was your mére (mother)?" Francis asked, and Gilbert huffed and rested his head against the bathroom wall.

"No. It couldn't be." He muttered, "To be honest, Francis, I don't know why I was in that apartment in the first place…"

"You do not recognize the apartment?" Francis questioned with a gasp. The albino just shook his head, even though Francis couldn't see it.

"West wasn't there, or at least he wasn't in the dream. Dad wasn't there either." Gilbert begun whining, thumping his head against the wall, "You know what? I don't want to talk about it anymore." He sighed, hoping Francis didn't urge him to tell him more.

Luckily, Francis made a noise of understanding, "It is okay, you don't have to. Thank you for telling me this much, mon ami."

"Thanks for listening." Gilbert responded, closing his eyes. Then his phone beeped noisily, and Gilbert frowned and looked at his screen. The screen flickered from the menu to white, then fizzled and died out.

"No! No, no, no, NO! Oh, that is so unawesome!" Gilbert cried, getting to his feet and turning off the shower, stumbling out onto the towel on the floor and snatching the white towel from the counter. He wrapped the towel around his phone, trying to drain the water from the phone as best as he could. His phone just couldn't hold out any longer, though, and he knew there was no way to bring it back. The battery had been fried, and the screen had so much water damage that he could see the drips running down underneath the glass.

"Dammit!" Gilbert whined, pitching his phone into the trash bin and wrapping the towel around his waist. When he stepped out of the bathroom, Ludwig peeked out from his bedroom once more.

"I heard yelling." He said, leaning against the doorframe and looking at his half-naked brother with a frown.

"I ruined my phone. I'll buy a new one later." Gilbert explained, shaking his head and rubbing the towel against his legs, then rubbing his chest with it, exposing himself in front of his indifferent sibling.

"When did you get a therapist?" Ludwig asked next, stepping out into the hallway and watching as his brother started drying off his hair. He was really skinny, but he was still somewhat toned. Ludwig knew he hadn't been eating properly because of how he's been avoiding him for the past few months, and it worried him to see his brother so scrawny. Gilbert had a thoughtful expression, wrapping the towel around his waist once more as he pondered.

"I dunno… I think maybe a year ago. Could've been a few months. Maybe a week ago." Gilbert mumbled, stroking his chin in thought as he rambled.

"A week? How do you not know?" Ludwig asked, becoming even more concerned for his brother. Gilbert frowned and shrugged.

"Look, West, I don't keep track of the eggs around here. My job is to work at the newsstand at the corner dress in a tux to go to Dad's funeral without looking like a slob." Gilbert continued to ramble, giving his blond brother a strange look. Ludwig just stared at the albino in confusion.

"Are you okay, Brother?" Ludwig asked, folding his arms across his chest and staring Gilbert down, wondering if he was having another one of his episodes. Ludwig knew he wasn't, though, since if he was, he'd be curled up on the floor, screaming and crying. He had seen it happen before, and it wasn't pretty.

"Hmm? Come on, Ludwig, we're talking about the awesome me! Of course I'm okay!" He scoffed, turning and walking back into his bedroom. Ludwig shook his head slowly, then glanced back at his laptop and frowned. He went over to the machinery and closed it, dressing in a white tank top and pulling on some sweats before shuffling downstairs. He knew he wouldn't be getting back to sleep, and neither would Gilbert, so he started breakfast.

Soon, Gilbert was downstairs too, dressing himself in his black tux with a white dress shirt beneath it. It had been so long since he wore it, and it felt strange to be putting it on for a funeral when it was originally bought for a school dance. Ludwig looked over him and frowned, feeling the initial sadness one would feel when their father passed away. Gilbert shouldn't be dressing like this, Ludwig believed. He thought Gilbert should be dressed in his usual purple and white or purple and black clothes with multi-coloured converse and messy hair, not stuffed in a moth-eaten suit, hair combed neatly in a swoop to the left, fixing his cufflinks with clumsy fingers.

"Do you need help with that?" Ludwig offered, moving away from the eggs and sausages that were cooking to assist his incapable older brother. Gilbert just offered up his sleeves quietly, watching as Ludwig slid the cufflink through the two holes and secured it in its place.

"Awesome." Gilbert breathed when he was done, looking over the silver links, then frowning, "Thanks."

"Sure." Ludwig muttered, going back to their breakfast and serving himself and Gilbert a plate. They ate in somewhat silence, sometimes asking each other to pass the salt or a napkin. When they had finished their early breakfast, Gilbert looked over at the clock that hung beside the refrigerator to see it was only six in the morning. Their father's service didn't start until one in the afternoon, but when Gilbert looked back at Ludwig, he knew they would be arriving much earlier than planned.

Soon enough, after washing the dishes and helping Ludwig dress up properly, they exited the house and got into Gilbert's car. Truth be told, it really was Ludwig's car now, since Gilbert was much too nervous to drive a car, mostly with others in it. Ludwig and their father understood why, and they were worried as much as Gilbert was when it came to his rare but hectic episodes. So, whenever Gilbert needed to 'drive', Ludwig would be the one to play chauffer.

So, Gilbert sank into the passenger's seat, pulling the seat belt across his chest securely as Ludwig started up the car. The younger German pulled out of the parking lot and onto the narrow street, driving the four-seater down the neighborhood, displaying its peeling blue paint job and its duct-taped windows. It had been tagged by so many different thugs and gangs that it looked like a rolling piece of graffiti that they paraded down the streets and flashed in the parking lot of the funeral home where their father currently laid.

It was still too early, and the funeral home had not opened at the time, so Ludwig and Gilbert sat in the car, trying to find a decent radio station that didn't emit static noises and the sound of crumpling tin foil.

"So, brother…" Ludwig started, red eyes jumping from the radio to the blond on their left, "How did you meet this therapist?"

Gilbert sat up straight and frowned. It seemed like such a strange question to the albino, but he answered anyway, "Dad. He gave me the number."

Ludwig gave Gilbert a surprised look, but he didn't press on. Dad was a sensitive subject at the moment, more for Ludwig than it was for Gilbert. Gilbert just sighed and continued messing with the radio, until he finally settled on some slow rock that was playing. They both reclined in their seats, looking at everything but each other as they did.

A familiar song came on, and they both started humming along with it, not even trying to interact with each other. Soon, Ludwig's phone buzzed, and he flipped it open and sighed, then began texting like mad. Gilbert figured Ludwig was talking to that girl he was always talking about, since she's the only one who was able to text that fast. Just as Ludwig sent a message, she would send a reply in practically seconds, no matter the length.

Ludwig wished he still had his phone so he could text Antonio instead of sitting quietly by himself. When the time finally reached eleven, they both got out, groaning as they stretched out their legs from the almost permanent sitting position. They closed and locked the car, even though Gilbert was sure no one would want to break into the crappy vehicle, and they headed towards the wooden double doors that opened up into a small lobby. There were three more doors, each leading to their own halls with pews and flowers and caskets. There was already a family in one, and they were mourning quietly over the loss of a young girl, probably eleven or twelve.

"Come on, Gilbert, let's not bother them." Ludwig whispered to the albino, and they pulled away from the doors that led to the service, walking over to the waterfall in the wall and sitting on the bench in front of it. The woman at the desk noticed them, and Ludwig alerted her that they were the Beilschmidt family, there for their father.

"Are you two his sons? I thought you would be older." She admitted, giving the duo a look of pity, one that they both narrowed their eyes at. This was just the beginning of the waterfall of pity and doubt and 'truth-be-told's that they would be hearing throughout this service.

Luckily, their room was being set up already, so they were able to sit down at the front few pews as they brought in roses and other various flowers. They both scowled at the white flowers, then looked at each other questioningly.

"Dad isn't a flowery man." Ludwig muttered, and Gilbert nodded in agreement.

"You know what they should've put…" Gilbert began, making his brother look at him curiously, "They should've put up a picture of that archer guy from _Lord Of The Rings." _

They both chuckled softly, then Ludwig shook his head, "No, they should've put up a picture of him scolding us, since that's pretty much the only thing he did."

The both laughed a little more, but they stopped when their father's casket was brought in. After it was set up, the two brothers slowly went up to the edge, looking in to find their father laying there, long golden hair just like it's always been, smooth and shiny with a single braid on the right. His eyes were closed and his hands were clasped at his stomach. White flower petals were strewn across his coffin, one resting daintily on his cheek. Ludwig let out a soft sigh, then brushed the petal off, fixing a few strands of the man's hair carefully. Gilbert just watched as Ludwig became more and more perfectionist about how their father was laying.

"It's all wrong. He should be smiling. Why isn't he smiling? No, and he shouldn't be wearing this. He should be wearing something comfortable. He should-" Gilbert stopped his brother's ramblings by putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing.

"West, come on. He looks awesome like this. He looks peaceful." Gilbert pointed out, and his blond brother began chewing his cheeks. Gilbert could see the few tears hanging on to the ledge of his eyelashes, and when one fell, Ludwig dropped his head and covered his face with his hands. He didn't make a noise, and he didn't shiver or shake. He just stood there for a minute, covering his face. Gilbert led his sulking brother back to the front pew, helping him sit down, then sitting down beside him.

Soon Ludwig lowered his hands, his expression blank and his eyes a faint red. Gilbert just slung an arm around his brother's shoulders, gripping one tightly and shaking him gently, trying to comfort him. Ludwig just sighed and closed his eyes, nodding a little to say that he was okay.

"We'll be fine by ourselves." Gilbert mumbled, "We're awesome and you're smart, so we'll be fine."

"Ja. Perfectly fine." Ludwig muttered, his voice low and slow. His phone buzzed again and he pulled it out, looking down at it. His face turned soft and he opened the message. Gilbert couldn't help himself, so he leaned a little closer and read the message along with Ludwig.

'Make sure u tell him u love him. Its a long journey 2 heaven.' It read, and Gilbert eyed his brother questioningly.

"Feliciano…" He explained, replying to him with a simple 'ok I will…'

"Feliciano's religious?" Gilbert asked, and Ludwig nodded, "Did you tell her you're atheist?"

"Yeah, and he laughed at me." Ludwig answered, making Gilbert do a double take.

"He?" He asked, but before this conversation could go any further, someone burst through the doors loudly, stomping down the halls in a pair of purple stilettos that were too small for this dough-like woman. She wore a black dress that proudly showed off roll after roll on her spherical body, and draped across her shoulders was a feather boa, the same dark purple as her shoes

"_Neffen_!" She cried, throwing her arms in the air, almost sending her dark purple faux crocodile skin hand bag across the room. Gilbert and Ludwig stood politely and Ludwig greeted her first, holding out his hand to her and shaking it confidently.

"Thank you for coming." He said politely, and Gilbert just imitated his brother with the hand shake, but said nothing more. The woman sobbed dramatically and stumbled over to the casket, crying harder when she saw her brother's body.

"Oh, my dear brother! Mein bruder!" She wailed, pressing a tissue to her nose. Ludwig and Gilbert glanced at each other, then sat back down on their pew, watching as their aunt sobbed over their dead father's body.

"Do you know if they stock beer in the back?" Gilbert asked softly, making Ludwig's eyes widen.

"Dear Gott, I hope so. They do know we're German, right?" Ludwig whispered in reply, and Gilbert shrugged honestly.

"I guess we'll just see how this goes." Ludwig murmured next, biting his lip and looking back at their aunt who was still wailing and blowing her nose. When she finally sat down, more family members started showing whispering to each other and crying and mourning.

Both brothers were surprised at how many family members came to bid their father farewell. There were people they haven't seen, and people who had came all the way from Germany. Gilbert and Ludwig just sat in their own pew, no one around them, watching everyone mingle and mourn together. Women sat in the far left corner to cry with each other, children sat quietly, whispering and looking sullen. The men were walking up to their father's coffin, looking in and muttering words in German.

Gilbert looked around the room quietly, feeling quite happy that their father had so many people who cared about them. As his eyes drifted over the various family members dressed in unfitting suits and small black dresses, he noticed a particular blond, leaning against the wall with a drink in his hand. He wore a suit, too, but his suit fit his slender body. The main reason why he stuck out, Gilbert thought, was because of his hair. It was wavy, not straight, and all of his family had straight hair. This blond nudged his glasses higher up his nose, looking around slowly.

Their eyes met, and the blond smiled and pushed himself off the wall, walking out of the room and he glanced over his shoulder. Gilbert never saw someone as beautiful as him, and when he started walking away, Gilbert followed him with his eyes, then whacked Ludwig hard in the shoulder repeatedly.

"Hey, West, who's that? He looks… He looks _awesome_…." Gilbert gasped, finally able to look away when the blond man left the hall. He glanced down at his brother, who was looking over to the door to see who he was talking about. When Ludwig gave his brother a confused look, Gilbert just huffed and got up.

"I'll be right back." Gilbert said, fast walking down the hall and leaving behind a bewildered blond.

"Gilbert? Where are you going?" Ludwig called out, but the albino ignored him and exited the hall, almost running into one of the workers. He apologized to her quickly, then walked off, searching everywhere for the mysterious blond. He reached the lobby and looked around, not catching sight of the man he was cluelessly chasing. He went to the other two doors, pushing them open quietly and peeking in, but both rooms were empty now. When he pulled away from the door on the far left, he saw the golden wavy hair just out of the corner of his eye, and when he jerked his head to look, he saw the boy exiting the funeral home, walking out of a door that was held open by an older gentleman just as a woman stepped through.

Gilbert's eyes widened and he quickly dove through the door, shoving past the busty woman and almost slamming her to the floor.

"Sorry!" He yelled, running past the archway that led to the door and out into the parking lot. He spun around again, panting lightly as he searched for the man. He couldn't find him, though, and he was about to take off and look around the back when someone tapped his shoulder, making the albino jump and spin around.

Standing right before him was that blond from the funeral home, still dressed in his tux, smiling up at the albino.

"Were you chasing me, eh?" He questioned, holding his hands behind his back and standing extremely close to the surprised German. Gilbert tried backing up to regain his personal bubble, but the blond stepped forward anyway, smiling still and never breaking eye contact. "Curious about something, eh?"

"Who are you?" Gilbert finally asked, still trying to back up, but it was futile.

"Who are you?" The blond repeated, still smiling playfully. He stopped moving forward, so Gilbert stopped moving away. They were now a comfortable distance away. "Why were you chasing me, eh?"

"Chasing?" Gilbert asked, blinking a few times, then he forced a smile and scoffed uneasily, "I w-wasn't chasing anyone! I'm too awesome to chase!"

The blond looked surprised, golden brows arching perfectly. "Well, what would you call it, then?"

"Um… Strategic… documenting?" Gilbert attempted, making the blond laugh softly.

"Oh really? Would you mind explaining 'Strategic Documenting' to me?" He asked playfully, obviously making fun of the pale man.

"Well… well obviously it's like tracking, but I write down where you've been! Yeah, and the strategic part… because it takes strategy to predict where you'll show up next! Awesome, right?" Gilbert detailed, smiling stupidly and flailing his arms to emphasize his point. The blond just laughed and moved one of his feet behind the other, tapping the toes against the tar ground. His arms were still behind his back, and he rocked slowly from left to right, keeping his eyes on the albino man. After a short silence, the blond bit down on his lip, then threw forward a hand, holding it out for a shake.

"Matthew Bonnefoy. Francis sent me." He introduced himself, and Gilbert's eyes widened and he smiled, taking the boy's hand and shaking it enthusiastically.

"I'm… I'm Gilbert." Gilbert replied, still smiling idiotically.

"I heard." Matthew nodded, dropping his hand and returning it behind him. "Francis told me you might need some… support."

"Pssh, what does he know? I'm too awesome!" Gilbert boasted, crossing his arms and smirking more. Matthew's brows rose again and his smile fell. He brought both hands to Gilbert's face, cupping his cheeks and looking into his eyes.

"Hey, you don't have to lie to me." He said softly, and soon people started walking out of the funeral home, making Matthew frown, "Hey, let's go somewhere more private." He suggested, taking the albino's hand and leading him to the back of the funeral home, near the dumpsters.

"Well, this is romantic." Gilbert teased, making the blond laugh softly. Matthew let go of the albino, looking at him with violet eyes.

"Tell me anything you want to, okay?" He said, giving Gilbert a friendly smile. Gilbert raised a curious brow, looking around for a second before looking back at Matthew.

"Why should I? How do I know Francis really sent you?" He questioned, narrowing his eyes at the blond. Matthew looked shocked, but he smiled again.

"Well, I'm his son. You can ask him when you get a new phone. Oh, and he told me to tell you that it's definitely tax fraud." Matthew said, rocking back and forth on his feet again. Gilbert's eyes widened a little, and he scratched the back of his head and hummed in thought.

"Why did he send you?" Gilbert asked, putting his hands in his pockets. Matthew shrugged and turned, taking a few slow steps away from Gilbert as he spoke.

"He told me to make sure you were okay. He said he was worried about you. Papa usually doesn't worry, so I decided to come." Matthew explained, then he looked over his shoulder, his hair tossing as he looked. He had to brush a few stray locked away from his eyes as he looked at Gilbert, and he gave a small smile, "So I guess you can say I was worried too, buddy." He said lightly, and somehow, seeing those eyes and hearing that sing-song voice made Gilbert's knees quake and his heart jump.

"Gilbert!" He heard his brother yell out, and Gilbert spun around to find the angry blond German marching towards him. "You left me in that room with the rest of the family all alone! Do you know what they did? They started questioning me about our stability! I got three people telling me that we wouldn't live to see the New Year! Do you know how many people in our family are looking to adopt us? I do NOT want to move to Germany!"

Gilbert was taken aback by this outburst, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Matthew had left. He looked back at his raging brother, raising a confused brow.

"West, I just met the strangest person…" Gilbert whispered, feeling lightheaded and confused. Ludwig scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Come on, _dummkopf_, we're going home." Ludwig growled, grabbing Ludwig's arm and tugging him towards their lemon, kicking the door open and shoving Gilbert in the passenger seat. Gilbert just sighed and sunk into his seat, still feeling confused about what just happened. Ludwig got in the driver's seat and started up the ignition, about to pull out when the woman in the ill-fitting dress and the feather boa waddled up to the car door, knocking on the window and bending down to see the two.

Ludwig groaned and rolled down the window, spinning the handle on the side of the door until the window was halfway down.

"Hello, auntie." Ludwig said as politely as he could, but his annoyance was heard in his voice.

"_Neffe, _If you want to, you can always come live with me _und mein Katzen._" She offered, and Ludwig forced a smile and shook his head.

"_Nein, Tante_, we'll be fine." Ludwig said, "We're going home now. Thank you for coming." Ludwig said, then started pulling out of the parking spot. Gilbert just waved at the woman, and soon they were heading for the gate that led to the main road. As they neared the iron gate, Gilbert spotted Matthew standing by some bushes, partially hidden by a cherry tree.

"Hey, hey, West, look, it's that guy!" Gilbert said excitedly, pointing towards the blond. Matthew smiled at then and waved, then hid himself behind the tree. Ludwig looked over and frowned, shaking his head.

"Sure, sure." Ludwig muttered, making Gilbert frown and kick his feet fitfully.

"I'm serious! Look, he's right there!" Gilbert claimed, pointing at the tree, even though Matthew was no longer there.

"I know!" Ludwig sighed out, rubbing his forehead, "Look, I just want some peace and quiet, okay?"

"Fine…. How unawesome…" Gilbert complained, crossing his arms and glaring out the window.


	3. In The Newsstand

Okay, I guess I kind of lied, Gilbert is suffering from PTSD from his childhood experience, but I don't think that's enough to bump him into the crazy house xD

* * *

><p>Gilbert was sitting in the horribly placed newspaper stand with some job ads in his lap and a highlighter in his hand. He was spinning the yellow highlighter around with his fingers as he read over the ads.<p>

'Babysitter wanted: Someone who's good to three kids under ten years old, all boys.'

"Hey, that sounds like something that Antonio-bastard would enjoy." A familiar accented voice drifted through the air, making Gilbert look up to see the Vargas twins standing in front of the shop, one smiling, one frowning.

"Huh? Babysitting?" Gilbert asked, getting up and unlocking the door for the two. He usually doesn't let anyone in, but he had a bit of a thing for Feliciano. Though, seeing the bright and bubbly girl today after what he heard Ludwig say yesterday made him a little confused. He let them in, nonetheless.

Lovino, the twin that was most definitely male, came in first, sitting down on some boxes filled with old newspapers and magazines. Feliciano, the questionably gendered twin, came in and closed the door behind him/her, hopping up on the counter and actually able to keep him/herself up, unlike the much bigger Antonio.

"Yeah, that tomato-bastard is a freak for little kids. I swear he's a total pedophile, that ass." Lovino explained, leaning back against the wall and digging through the pockets of his red sweatshirt with the Spanish flag's insignia on it to pull out his phone.

"Ve~, but he's nice, too. And he can sing!" Feliciano chimed in, holding a cup of Jamba Juice and slurping down its contents. He/She had her eyes closed, like usual, and it always made Gilbert wonder why he/she would keep them hidden. He's never actually seen his/her eyes before, so he wasn't sure if Feliciano had particularly pretty eyes. Of course, with Gilbert's logic, they should be, because the rest of him/her was already pretty.

"Kesese, that's so weird. I'm gunna make fun of him for it, now!" Gilbert cheered, making Lovino smirk in a dark but amused smile.

"Make fun of whom for que?" A Spanish voice called out before he knocked on the door. Lovino got to his feet and unlocked the metal door, swinging it open for the tanned man who walked in happily, tossing a bag of Mexican foods at Gilbert.

"Hey, I didn't know we were having a fiesta! You should've told me! I would have brought more comida!" Antonio laughed out, closing the door, then bending down to kiss Lovino's forehead. Lovino just blushed and yelled at the brunette, shoving him away and crossing his arms. Antonio just laughed and looked at Gilbert, and they both shrugged their shoulders and said in unison, "High schoolers!"

Antonio coaxed Lovino to sit on his lap while Antonio sat on the boxes, and even though Lovino now spat out insults every few seconds, they seemed pretty happy together.

"Hey, Feliciano, hand me your phone." Gilbert said, holding out his hand to the Italian, making him/her nod and dig through his/her pockets. When she/he located his/her phone, she/he passed the white touch screen over to the German. Gilbert shuffled through the contacts list, not finding his brother's name anywhere.

"Uh, Feliciano, why isn't Ludwig's number here? Just because he isn't as awesome as me doesn't mean he should just be forgotten!" Gilbert joked, and Feliciano laughed softly and bent over the phone, his/her breath hitting Gilbert's cheek as she/he scrolled through the contacts list. Soon, Feliciano's finger landed on a number under the name 'Tesoro'.

"Hmm? What's 'tesoro' mean?" Gilbert asked, looking up at Feliciano curiously as he began a new text to his brother. Lovino's eyes widened at the name and he frowned.

"Feli, did you put 'tesoro' as that potato-eating bastard?" Lovino gasped, glaring at his twin. Feliciano gasped and frowned, looking a little scared.

"Don't hit me, Lovino, I'm sorry, but he's my boyfriend after all!" Feliciano cried, throwing his/her hands up to cover his/her face. Gilbert's eyes widened and his head shot up to look at the Italian.

"Whoa, you're dating West? Why doesn't he tell the awesome _me_ that kind of stuff?" I complained, making Antonio chuckle.

"Probably because you run away whenever you see him, mi amigo." The Spaniard brought up, and Gilbert frowned and stuck his tongue out.

"Just so you know, I actually talked to him yesterday!" Gilbert mentioned, making Antonio chuckle lightly.

"Well, you would have to, since you two were probably in the same car." Antonio added, making Gilbert roll his eyes and text his brother.

'Hey, we're at the newsstand, come if you wanna see your girlfriend. –Your Awesome brother.' He sent, and only a few minutes later did Ludwig reply.

'Feliciano is my boyfriend.' Ludwig said, making Gilbert's eyes widen. He looked up at Feliciano, who was currently giggling away to one of Antonio's jokes while Lovino was a bright red.

"Hey, you're a guy?" Gilbert asked, making all of them look at him questioningly, Feliciano turning a bright red.

"Ve~? Of course I'm a guy." Feliciano answered, then Antonio chuckled a little and slyly wrapped his arms around Lovino's waist, hugging him closer.

"Did you not know Feli was a chico?" Antonio questioned, making the albino shrug a little and smirk.

"I honestly thought he was a girl. Awesome, though, now my brother's gay!" He snorted out, tossing the phone at the little Italian, making him flinch, but catch the phone nonetheless. Antonio and Feliciano laughed softly, and Lovino probably would've laughed if he wasn't being squeezed by the Spaniard every which way.

"Would you stop that, bastard?" Lovino complained, getting pleading eyes from the tan man under him. Feliciano giggled softly and continued downing his smoothie. Gilbert just tilted back in his chair and glanced out towards the street, looking at the apartment complex.

"Aww, Lovi, but I love your thighs!" Antonio purred, squeezing the boy just below his groin to prove his point. Lovino just gasped and huffed, shoving an elbow into Antonio's ribcage, making him flinch and grunt. Feliciano laughed more, and Gilbert spotted the doors opening to the apartment complex. Out walked a very familiar blond, making Gilbert's eyes widen. He got to his feet quicker than before, leaning on the counter and sticking his head out the window of the newspaper stand, watching the boy.

"Guys, look, it's that weird kid from the funeral!" Gilbert said excitedly, getting the other three to peer out the window.

"Who? The blond?" Antonio asked, lifting Lovino so he could look closer.

"Yeah, yeah, that one!" Gilbert exclaimed, pointing at the walking boy. "He's really awesome!"

"Why was he at your father's funeral?" Feliciano asked, opening his eyes completely for once to study the boy who was walking down the sidewalk.

"I dunno…. HEY!" Gilbert screamed, his voice echoing off of the buildings. Matthew jumped from the shout and turned quickly, spotting the four of them in the newsstand. Gilbert waved his arm enthusiastically, wearing the stupidest grin he could possibly muster. Matthew looked around at first, not finding anyone else that Gilbert could be waving to, so he warily raised a hand, waving in Gilbert's direction before walking off.

"Huh, you know, he's got a pretty face." Antonio noted, and Gilbert sighed and nodded, sitting back in his chair and keeping his eyes on Matthew, who had just taken out a book to read as he walked.

"What do you mean, tomato-bastard?" Lovino gasped, glaring at the Spaniard with jealousy. Feliciano smiled a little and sat back down on the counter.

"Ve~, Lovi, you make a cute face when you're jealous!" Feliciano laughed out, making Lovino scrunch up his nose and cross his arms.

"I'm not jealous!" He protested, and Antonio laughed and sat back down on the boxes, pulling Lovino back into his lap. Antonio's hands disappeared under the over-sized jacket Lovino wore that was most likely Antonio's. Lovino's face turned red, but he didn't protest, and Antonio started whispering into the Italian's ear.

"I'm not jealous…" He repeated in a whisper, making Antonio chuckle again. Gilbert rolled his eyes, unable to watch Matthew for much longer since he turned the corner, being hidden by a bakery shop. Feliciano just sighed, sipping his Jamba-Juice quietly and looking a little lonely. However, as if the universe had some sort of biased towards Feliciano being lonely, Ludwig showed up, knocking on the door before calling out, "I brought drinks."

"Yes! Awesome!" Gilbert quickly cheered, throwing open the door and letting in his brother. With five people in the narrow newsstand, it got a little cramped, but no one minded. Ludwig held up a paper bag, then put it under the counter so no one could see. Then, he dug through it and pulled out a few beers, handing two off to Antonio and Gilbert. They didn't have to hide their drinks, luckily, since they were eighteen, so they just opened up their drinks and gulped it down.

"Do you two want some?" Ludwig asked kindly, pouring one of the bottle's contents into a cup and putting it on the counter. Feliciano shook his head no, but Lovino asked for one. Ludwig handed over a second cup of beer, and the Italian sipped it carefully. Antonio chuckled softly and kept one hand up Lovino's jacket, whispering to him between sips.

"Have you been looking for another job?" Ludwig asked Gilbert, and the albino nodded and thumbed over to the stack of crossed out job ads in the corner of the room.

"I found one for babysitting." Gilbert announced, getting Antonio's attention immediately.

"How old? What gender? How many?" Antonio quickly asked, looking eager to know. Gilbert and Ludwig looked at the Spaniard in surprise, and Feliciano began laughing. Lovino just rolled his eyes and nudged Antonio in the ribs, glaring at him.

"Ah, sorry, Lovi~" He apologized, blushing a little and hugging Lovino to his chest. Lovino just puffed out his cheeks and crossed his arms, but he didn't protest again. He continued drinking his beer, and so did Ludwig. Gilbert leaned over to Ludwig, who was leaning against the counter with Feliciano.

"I told you, beer's delicious, right?" He snorted, smirking at his younger brother. Ludwig sighed and looked away, but he nodded to the question and drank more. Feliciano got a little curious, so he stole some of Ludwig's and shivered.

"I think I like wine better…" He mumbled, sitting back down and blushing. Ludwig kept his eyes on Feliciano, only looking away when Antonio called out to him, or if he told a joke. It was already far into the afternoon when a policeman walked by, noticing the hoard of teenagers and the red plastic cups.

"Oh, _mierda_, put your cups down." Antonio quickly whispered. Ludwig put his down and slid it over to Gilbert, who picked it up and sipped from it. Lovino turned red and put his cup on the floor, nudging it away from him with his foot. Feliciano just laughed and finished off his smoothie, looking triumphant that he wasn't guilty of anything. The sun had already gone, so the policeman took out his flashlight and shined it on the group of kids, resting the light on Antonio and Lovino when he saw Antonio's hand up the boy's shirt. Antonio frowned and slipped his hand away, holding up both arms in a submissive manner.

"What's in the cup?" The policeman asked, flicking the light over to Gilbert who was still drinking from Ludwig's cup.

"Beer. Want some?" Antonio answered, bringing the light back to him. Lovino scowled and shaded his eyes from the light, glaring at the cop. The cop glared back, then shook his head.

"Are you all old enough for beer?" He questioned, making Ludwig turn to face the cop.

"No, but we're not drinking beer."He answered, and the cop narrowed his eyes further and leaned in, getting his face close to Ludwig's. Ludwig didn't back away, even though Feliciano was tugging on his sleeve and whispering him to stop. After a few silent seconds, the cop backed away and sighed.

"I'm not an eejit, mate. I can smell the beer on your breath." The man sighed out, pulling back and shining the light at Ludwig.

"Get that light out of my brother's face!" Gilbert yelled, getting up and smacking the flashlight away from the blond policeman. The man looked surprised, glancing over at the rolling flashlight, then back at Gilbert.

"You just assaulted an officer, young man!" He scolded, putting his hands on his hips. Gilbert stuck his tongue out at the man.

"Sue me!" He dared, and the officer laughed.

"I can arrest you!" He threw out, making everyone's eyes widen and Gilbert frowned.

"Oh…. Unawesome…" He muttered, thinking how he shouldn't have done that. The officer sighed softly, then looked at the beer.

"Well… I've been suffering through a kind of Prohibition in my household, so I'll let it slide if you give me a bottle." He said, looking around to make sure there wasn't anyone else around. Gilbert's brows shot up, and his smile came back tenfold. He dug through the brown bag and tossed a bottle at the officer, who caught it and popped it open.

"What's Prohibition?" Feliciano asked, feeling much more comfortable now that the cop wasn't shining the light in everyone's faces. He sighed and ran his gloved fingers through his hair, drinking from the bottle.

"You know, that act that was passed in America that banned beer for ten years. It was a bloody mess." He sighed out, a British accent hinted in his words. "Well, my roommate told me I can't have any more alcohol for god knows why."

"What type of roommate is he?" Lovino scoffed, bending down and picking up his own beer and sipping it. The cop raised a brow at Lovino's actions, but he disregarded it with a shrug and continued drinking.

"Ugh, I needed this." The man sighed out, putting a hand on his hip. Ludwig chuckled softly and snatched his cup back from Gilbert, frowning when he saw half of his drink was gone. Gilbert just laughed and held up his bottle.

"Cheers on not getting arrested!" He said, making everyone laugh and hold out their drinks, even the cop.

"So, what's your name, amigo?" Antonio asked after emptying out his bottle. Lovino had his head on Antonio's shoulder, and the Spaniard's hand was back up his jacket.

"Arthur. But don't report me! I'm not supposed to be drinking on the job." He introduced himself, lifting his bottle to his lips again. Everyone laughed softly and shook their heads. Feliciano rested his head against Ludwig's shoulder, smiling. Gilbert just leaned back in his chair, then held out a hand for Arthur to shake.

"I'm Gilbert. I'm awesome." He introduced himself, getting a smirk from the cop. They shook hands, then the cop tugged off his gloves and sipped more beer.

"Awesome enough to almost get arrested." Arthur snorted, making Gilbert chuckle and shake his head.

"No way! No one would arrest the awesome me!" Gilbert cheered, making Ludwig roll his eyes. When Arthur finished his beer, he sighed and tossed it in the garbage.

"I should get going now, kids. Don't get too drunk, got it?" He said, raising a threatening finger, but in a playful manner. When he walked away, Antonio smirked a little.

"Okay, he was pretty nice." Antonio commented, making Lovino and Feliciano nod in unison.

"He was awesome!" Gilbert cried out, laughing a little and downing the rest of the beer. "Hey, it's five thirty, get moving. I have to lock up in thirty minutes!"

Everyone groaned a little and Lovino stood first, but Antonio grabbed his wrist and tugged him back down, whispering something in his ear and making the boy turn bright read.

"B-bastard!" He scoffed, but he didn't shove the Spaniard away. Feliciano got up too, and Ludwig took his hand.

"Brother, I'm going to walk Feliciano home. Wait for me here, okay?" He said, opening the door and letting the smaller Italian out first, throwing away his empty beer cup.

"Got it, West. Don't forget a condom!" Gilbert teased, getting a scowl from the blond and he and Feliciano started walking away, hand in hand. When Antonio was done whispering, he and Lovino got up.

"Adios, mi amigo!" He called out, then mouthed quietly, "I'm going to get laid!"

Gilbert just laughed and waved at them, then closed and locked the door and began restocking and counting the money, throwing the empty bottles in the trash bin so his boss wouldn't complain. As he counted the money, someone stopped in front of his stand.

"We're closing in a few, so choose quickly." Gilbert said without looking up, wrapping the money up, then bending down to grab the rest of the beers. When he finally looked up, he saw Matthew standing there, his hands behind his back and a smile on his face.

"Hello, buddy." He said, tilting his head to the right. Gilbert smiled a little, almost dropping the beer.

"Oh… Matthew… Hey." He said, then reddened and got to his feet, "You need something from the awesome me?"

Matthew laughed softly, looking up at Gilbert, then shaking his head. "I just came to see you. Can I come in?"

Gilbert nodded quickly, unlocking the door for the blond and holding it open. Matthew stepped in, then sat down on the box Antonio and Lovino were sitting on previously. Gilbert sat back down in the chair, putting the money in the small safe hidden under the counter.

"I waved to you. Did you see me?" Gilbert asked, smiling at the blond, looking like an impatient puppy. Matthew laughed again and nodded.

"I'm sorry I didn't come over. I'm a little… anthropophobic." Matthew explained, curling one of his fingers through his hair.

"Anthro-what? What's that?" Gilbert asked, closing the metal shudders to keep hobos and robbers out, locking it tightly. He turned on a small light, so they weren't completely in the dark.

"It's the fear of people and society." Matthew described, shrugging his shoulders. Gilbert was interested in this, so he leaned forward a little and kept his eyes on the blond.

"Why are you afraid of people? That doesn't sound too awesome." Gilbert commented, making the blond smile and lean against the wall, digging his hands into the pockets of his red-and-white sweater.

"It's a long story." He answered, but Gilbert pressed on anyway.

"I've got time. Plus, I'm awesome, so I would listen to you!" He proclaimed, smiling dorkishly and nodding, resting his elbows on his knees as he waited for Matthew to begin his story. The blond sighed a little, then brushed his hair behind his left ear.

"Well, ever since I was a kid, I was always kind of… invisible. People would often forget about me and lose me. This one time, when I was five, my mother left me alone in a restaurant, and I sat in the booth and cried to myself. No one noticed me for a whole night, and the next morning, Francis came and found me." Matthew explained, shrugging, "Ever since then, I've had trouble trusting people, so I began isolating myself from everyone. I didn't want to deal with the pain of being forgotten on a daily basis, so I just cut it out of my life. I guess, eventually, I started becoming scared of them."

Gilbert was surprised. How could someone this beautiful and this sweet be scared of anything? He imagined someone this 'awesome' to be invincible, not invisible.

"Hey, wait a minute! If you're so scared of people, how come you came to see me? I'm just that awesome, aren't I?" Gilbert flattered himself, chuckling lowly. Matthew reddened and smiled, crossing his left leg over his right daintily.

"Well, when Papa Francis told me about you, he made you seem so… different. And when he expressed his worry, I thought to myself, 'Yeah, maybe I can talk to him.' Then you turned out to be… well, you." He answered sweetly, smiling softly, "I must admit, you are quite 'awesome', buddy."

Gilbert chuckled more at the compliment, feeling his cheeks tint red in the low lights. Then Matthew let out a soft sigh and looked down at his lap.

"Plus… you haven't forgotten about me so far…" He mumbled, and Gilbert frowned and shook his head.

"Hey, I'll never forget you!" Gilbert promised, giving Matthew a serious look, "I mean it! You're too awesome to forget!"

Matthew looked surprised, but happy at the same time. He gave the serious albino a new smile, one filled with thanks and joyfulness, then Matthew leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Gilbert in a soft hug, making him blush even harder.

"Umm… h-hey, you know, we should go out together!" Gilbert suggested, making Matthew pull away a little so they could look at each other, but his arms were still around the albino's neck.

"Out? Out where, eh?" Matthew asked curiously, looking into red eyes with his violet ones. Gilbert thought quickly, not wanting Matthew to pull away just yet.

"Oh, how about the fare? They have rides and stuff! I hear it's awesome!" Gilbert suggests, making Matthew quirk an eyebrow, then smile.

"Everything just has to be 'awesome' with you, huh?" He questioned, making Gilbert flush and give an embarrassed look. Then, Matthew laughed softly and shook his head, "I like it. It makes you, you." He whispers, moving his face just a little bit closer. Gilbert swallowed audibly, looking down at Matthew's lips, then his eyes again.

"So… is that a yes?" Gilbert asked, nervous that he would be shot down, even though he and Matthew only knew each other for a short while. Matthew thought about it, then nodded, making Gilbert's eyes widen along with his smile, and he stood up and threw both hands in the air. Matthew gasped, standing up with Gilbert and pressing his body against the German's, laughing softly at his excitement.

"When do you want to go out?" Matthew asked, hugging Gilbert's neck more comfortably, his body still up against Gilbert's flirtatiously. Gilbert brought his hands down slowly, then put them on Matthew's hips.

"Um… Tomorrow? Is that good?" Gilbert asked, and Matthew tilted his head and thought about it, humming softly as he thought.

"I think it sounds… _awesome._" Matthew teased, then he laughed and pulled away from Gilbert, "I'll see you tomorrow, then. Meet here, after you're done working?" He asked, and Gilbert nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, tomorrow at six, here…." Gilbert repeated, watching as Matthew pulled open the door and stepped out. The blond giggled and left, and Gilbert couldn't see him walk across the street since he already closed the shutters. Almost immediately after Matthew left, though, there was a harsh knocking on the door.

"Brother, you still in there?" Ludwig called out, and Gilbert smiled and swung the door open.

"Yeah, let's go!" He called out happily, closing the door behind him and throwing his fists in the air again, "Guess what, West?"

"Huh? What is it?" Ludwig questioned, taken aback at his brother's overexcitement. He thought to himself that Gilbert must have had one too many beers that day.

"I've got a date with that guy from the funeral! Tomorrow! At six! Isn't that awesome?" Gilbert yelled, jumping up and down and pumping his fists in the air. He never felt this excited to go on a date, and it was with a total _babe_, too!

"Oh, really? Well, that's good. You haven't really gone out with anyone but Antonio for a while." Ludwig commented and they started walking. Gilbert was still kind of dancing, though, throwing himself a little party for asking out Matthew. Ludwig just rolled his eyes at his brother's immaturity, then he remembered something he wanted to ask the albino.

"Hey, Brother." Ludwig began, getting the partying German's attention. Gilbert stopped dancing, panting lightly, and he looked at his brother as they walked.

"What is it? Too much awesomeness to handle?" Gilbert snorted obnoxiously, striking a quick pose, then resuming his walk alongside Ludwig.

"No, I was just wondering… Your therapist…" Ludwig continued, rubbing his hands together, both from the cold and from nervousness.

"Oh, Francis? What about him?" Gilbert asked, calming down considerably to talk about Francis. Ludwig frowned and shrugged.

"Well… where does he live?" Ludwig asked, eyeing his brother for any sign of lies.

"He's in prison." Gilbert answered honestly, looking completely unphased by the answer. Ludwig, however, looked totally shocked. He frowned and thought about it, then shook his head and looked at Gilbert.

"Why are you talking to someone who's in prison?" He yelled, now extremely worried for his brother's safety. Gilbert just rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Well, he's my therapist, that's why." Gilbert explained, putting his hands on his hips and laughing more.

"Was he put in prison before or after he became your therapist?" Ludwig asked next, hoping it was after.

"Before. I don't know how long he's been in there, but he says he's there for tax fraud. I don't believe him, though." Gilbert gossiped, smirking a little at the idea of Francis being put away for rape or murder. Ludwig felt his heart stop, and he looked at his brother in worry.

"Are you sure it's safe to talk to someone you don't know?" Ludwig expressed his concern, and Gilbert looked at his brother in confusion.

"It's totally safe, West! He's just a phone therapist!" Gilbert sighed out, not understanding what Ludwig was so worked up over.

"How does an inmate become a phone therapist, anyway?" Ludwig asked next, narrowing his eyes at the floor. Gilbert snorted and crossed his arms.

"Well, obviously the guards want the inmates to busy themselves with little jobs, and Francis got stuck with phone therapist. He told me he chose it because he thought he wouldn't get a lot of work, but I make sure to make him pay the price by calling in the middle of the night!" Gilbert boasted, letting out a loud guffaw at the end. Ludwig forced himself to laugh along with his brother, but he continued wringing his hands together. Gilbert noticed his brother's uneasiness, so he delivered a comforting yet painful slap to the shoulder, making the blond flinch and wince.

"Hey, calm down, West, I'm okay. I'm not telling him my home address or anything. Plus, Dad was the one who suggested him, so he must be an awesome therapist, right?" Gilbert comforted his brother, and Ludwig sighed a little and nodded.

"If Dad said he was okay…. then he must be." Ludwig muttered, trying to comfort himself more than agreeing with Gilbert.

"That's right! Now, let's get home and eat! I'm starving! Can we have some Frikadellen? Oh, or bratwurst!" Gilbert exclaimed, making his brother smile a little and sigh.

"We're having Weisswurst tonight." Ludwig said, getting a loud groan from the albino.

"Again?" Gilbert complained, getting a long scolding from his younger brother about saving money by eating leftovers and how Gilbert shouldn't complain about their dinners.

* * *

><p><em> "Someone save her!" I cried, gripping my throbbing leg in pain as the fire roared on. I felt hot tears running down my cheeks, but they dried up before they got to my chin. I could feel the tears pushing around the soot on my face, but now was not the time to worry about being dirty. I tried calling out to the thundering boots, but no one would come to help me. I was all alone, but I wasn't alone at the same time.<em>

_ I heard a heavy cracking noise, and I looked up just in time to see the very ceiling above me cave in. I quickly bent down, covering my head with my arms as my back was pummeled with burning wood. The splinters caught in my skin, burning like a thousand fire ants biting every bit of skin I had. The chunk of wood that was still sticking out of my leg had avoided the crumbling wood, but now I had to move it in order to keep from burning alive._

_ I threw my hands out in front of me, dragging myself out from under the rubble. There were no more tears, but I couldn't stop screaming. The flames from the wood on top of my crawled into my mouth and tore at my tongue and cheeks. I screamed even louder from the pain, but that only enticed the demonic flames to venture deeper. I thought I would be cooked from the inside out, but I closed my mouth, and the flame died in my throat. I was able to force myself out from under the burning pyre, and I curled up into a small ball, both hands at my mouth as blood dripped from the corners of my lips._

_ The pain in my leg had been doubled with the pain in my mouth, and now I couldn't scream. I still had to get someone's attention, though. I needed to save her, whoever she was. I began slamming my fists against the floor and the wall, trying to get some sort of attention. I needed to save her. I needed someone to help me save her._

_ Why can't anyone hear me?_

* * *

><p>"S-save…" Gilbert murmured, rolling around in his bed, hands clenching the blankets, then relaxing, only to flex again a few seconds later, "Please… Please…"<p>

Then, his eyes snapped open, and all he saw was fire. It taunted him, clinging to the walls and crawling on the ceilings, pointing and laughing at him as it devoured the wood. Gilbert parted his lips to let out a cry, but instead he croaked. The fire curled in on itself in laughter, skittering down the walls and onto the bed, lying beside the squirming albino. He didn't want to move, in case the fire decided to attack, but he didn't want to stay there either.

Luckily, he found his voice, and with one powerful bellow, he cried out "Ludwig!"

Just as his voice escaped his lips, the fire punished the squirming albino, wrapping around him and singing his skin, turning his very being a charcoaled black. Gilbert cried out in pain, his body jerking as the flames engulfed him. He didn't think Ludwig heard him, and briefly wondered if he would die right there, right then, when the door burst open.

Ludwig ran into the bedroom, immediately spotting his convulsing brother. He practically jumped on the bed, grabbing Gilbert's chin and jerking his face forward, trying to get those red eyes that were currently rolling about lazily focused on him.

"Gilbert! Brother, look at me! Look at me!" Ludwig commanded, getting only a small reaction from the man. His eyes had focused, but only for a second, and he had looked at the lamp instead of Ludwig. His whole being was shivering, and he was sweating as if he were walking on the sun. Ludwig bit his lip, still trying to get Gilbert's attention.

"Come on, Brother, look at me! I'm right here!" Ludwig begged, grabbing Gilbert's shoulders and shaking him lightly, then he snapped his fingers in front of Gilbert's face. The albino still didn't respond, though, and Ludwig began the panic. He tried to remember what their dad did whenever Gilbert had his episode, but the sheer terror of seeing his brother going through this shut down his thought processes and rid his brain useless.

"Gilbert! Gilbert, please!" Ludwig yelled, grabbing Gilbert's chin again, then drawing back a wide-open hand. He swung his hand downwards, delivering the roughest slap he had in his whole life. The sound of skin-hitting-skin echoed throughout the house, and almost immediately after, Gilbert stopped shaking. The muscles in his neck were still twitching, as if he were being electrocuted, but he was panting heavily now, and he was looking around slowly.

Ludwig gripped Gilbert's chin and jerked his head forward, looking into the man's red eyes. Gilbert returned the gaze, and he began shivering from fear.

"You're okay?" Ludwig asked, letting go of Gilbert's chin and looking into his fear-filled face. His brows were curled upwards and his lips were pulled down in a tight frown. Tears were burning the backs of his eyes, but he refused to let them out in front of his brother. He let in a shuddering breath, rolling onto his side and curling up in the fetal position.

"I-I-I'm a-a-awesome…." Gilbert stammered, his voice wavering violently, as if he was going to burst into tears at any minute. Ludwig let out a slow sigh, running his fingers through his hair as he felt his own hammering heart slow. Then, he patted Gilbert's head, moving the silver locks out of his face.

"Are you sure?" Ludwig asked next, slowly getting off the bed. Gilbert shook his head no, then grabbed Ludwig's hand and pulled him close.

"I need a phone…" He muttered, "A phone, Ludwig… please…"

"Okay, I'll get it for you right now. Just stay here, okay?"

"Okay…." Ludwig left quickly, rushing downstairs to grab the house phone. He quickly brought it up to Gilbert, who was still trying his hardest not to break down. When he was handed the phone, he quickly dialed Francis' number, then looked at his brother.

"Thank you. You can go back to bed." Gilbert said, shooing the blond out of his room. When he found it was safe, he let a few tears fall, waiting for Francis to pick up. He just needed someone to talk to without having them see him crying. According to Gilbert, crying in front of others was not only unmanly, but it was very unawesome.


	4. At The Fair

Gilbert let out a heavy sigh as he walked down the stairs. It had just turned six when Gilbert put the phone back on the receiver. He glanced out the window, spotting the first few rays of sunlight grazing the trees. He let out another sigh and wiped the back of his hand against his cheek, then sniffed and opened the refrigerator. He pulled out a tub of leftover Weisswurst, popping open the lid and throwing a plate-full in the microwave, letting it heat up. When the microwave beeped, Ludwig came down and found his brother in the kitchen, pulling out the steaming meat and grabbing a fork. Gilbert sat at the table, then glanced up at Ludwig. He stuck a fork in the meat, holding it up to blow on it.

"Hey." Gilbert greeted his brother weakly. Whenever he suffered from an episode, he would always be dead-tired and starving. However, he was always never able to get back to sleep after a nightmare, so he figured he would just have to push through it. Ludwig went into the kitchen as Gilbert ate, warming up a plate for himself.

"How are you feeling?" Ludwig asked as the microwave hummed with life. Gilbert shrugged, his back facing the blond while he ate. Ludwig nodded slowly, then pulled open the microwave door just before it beeped. He pulled out the plate, dropping it on the counter quickly with a hiss. He rubbed his stinging fingertips together, closing the microwave door and grabbing a fork. Ludwig braved the heart, clutching the edge of the plate and rushing over to the table, placing it down lightly before he tore away and glared at the plate, flicking his wrist as if he could shoo away the burn.

"Sorry for waking you. Definitely unawesome of me." Gilbert apologized, biting into his weisswurst and looking at his brother's plate. Ludwig frowned and sat down, using the side of his fork to cut up his own sausage.

"Don't worry, you didn't wake me up." Ludwig assured the albino, getting a dry chuckle.

"Still…" Gilbert muttered, chewing on the white sausage and letting out a sigh. Then he dropped his head to the table, closing his eyes and groaning, "Dammit, and I was going to go out with Matthew, too! How am I supposed to have fun if I'm dead tired? This is the definition of unawesome!" He cried, thumping a fist weakly against the oak. Ludwig was taken aback that the only thing that seemed to be bugging his suffering brother was the fact that he wouldn't be able to enjoy the date now.

Ludwig let out a soft sigh, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. He never met Matthew, and even though he claimed to have seen him at the funeral, he never caught glimpse of this person. However, from how Gilbert was acting at the moment, he had to assume that this Matthew guy was really special. Particularly for Gilbert.

"I'll get the Robusta beans." Ludwig said, standing up. Gilbert's head shot up, but he swayed woozily from the sudden action. His eyes were still bright, however, and a lazy grin spread across his face.

"You know where Dad's stash is?" Gilbert asked excitedly. Their father always had a secret stash of strange, imported goods. The stash would get moved yearly, and it was usually hidden by a cardboard box of some sort. Ludwig rolled his eyes at the question, pushing his chair in and picking up his empty plate.

"I'm the one who plans where to put it next. Dad trusted me not to touch his stuff." Ludwig admitted, getting a surprised expression from his brother. Gilbert couldn't believe it. He always thought he and Ludwig played for the same team, here!

"W-what? Unawesome! That's just… that's just _not_ awesome!" Gilbert cried out, bringing his fist down on the table as hard as he could in his worn out state. Ludwig just chuckled and stepped into the kitchen, opening the two cabinets above the fridge. He pulled out some coffee beans and began brewing them, wincing at the strong smell that came from it.

Gilbert caught a whiff from the dining room and cringed.

"Ugh, is that stuff any good?" Gilbert whined, not sure if he wanted to drink it anymore. Ludwig shook his head slowly, unable to answer factually.

"It's supposed to wake you up…" Ludwig muttered, and when the coffee was done, he poured his brother a cupful. When he placed the steaming mug of joe in front of the albino, Gilbert clutched Ludwig's arm and looked up at him fearfully.

"Drink some with me! I don't want to alone!" He begged, not letting go of his protesting little brother until he gave in. Ludwig huffed and yanked his arm away.

"Fine, fine I'll drink some too." Ludwig muttered darkly, pouring himself a cup and sitting down across the table from Gilbert. They both sat there unmoving for a long while, the steam slowly drifting from the top of the drinks.

"So… we just drink it?" Gilbert asked in a whisper, staring down into the strong-smelling beverage. Ludwig nodded slowly, also staring into his own. Then they both looked up at each other and they let out a shaky breath.

"Like a shot?" Ludwig asked, lifting his mug in the air for Gilbert to greet. The platinum blond nodded and lifted his own, clattering the two cups together.

"Like a shot." He confirmed, and the both clutched the edge of the table and downed as much of the coffee as they could in one go. In unison, they both slammed down the empty mugs on the table, letting out labored gasps. Their faces were contorted in disgust and horror of what they just drank, and Ludwig groaned and shoved his cup away.

"Never again…" Gilbert grumbled, putting his hands to his face and shaking his head, "_Not awesome!"_

"You could say that again…" Ludwig grumbled, glaring at his cup as he swallowed multiple times, trying to get the lingering taste of the most bitter coffee he had ever drank out of his mouth. Gilbert groaned and dropped his head back onto the table, right beside his mug.

"Did you even add sugar?" Gilbert questioned, wiping at his tongue with his hand, but it was futile. Ludwig snorted and collected the cups, taking them back to the sink and washing them out.

"I think I understand why Dad hid this from us." Ludwig commented, getting a noise of agreement from his brother. Ludwig placed the cups on a towel spread out beside the sink, then sighed and turned to face his slumped over brother, leaning against the sink and crossing his arms. They fell into a long silence.

Ten minutes passed when Gilbert finally sat up slowly, looking over his shoulder at his blond brother. They locked eyes and stared, almost as if they were telepathically communicating with one another.

"Do you wanna…" Gilbert began, then stopped and he began tapping his fingers against the table and the back of the chair, a fast drumming noise echoing through the room, "Do you wanna go for a run?"

"Hell yes." Ludwig was quick to agree, and they both shot up to their rooms and pulled on basketball shorts. Ludwig also threw on a black wife-beater, while Gilbert tugged on a baggy black t-shirt. After properly lacing up their sneakers, they bolted out the door and practically sprinted down to the park, which was twelve miles away.

* * *

><p>Gilbert and Ludwig sat panting on the park bench, sweating heavily from how much they ran. Gilbert had both arms hanging over the back of the bench, his chest heaving and his head tilted back as the sweat dripped off the edges of his hair. Ludwig was hunched forward, his elbows on his knees as he fought to catch his breath, running his hands through his now disheveled hair.<p>

"Did we really just do that?" Ludwig panted, straightening himself up to look at his brother. It was still early, and the sun was only a few inches above the trees now. Gilbert weakly nodded, swallowing in the process, then letting his lips part to suck in more air.

"Are we going to run back?" He asked next, his eyes widening a little. Gilbert laughed between pants, then lifted his head and cocked a brow at the blond beside him.

"Hell no!" He yelled, forcing himself to his feet and stumbling over to the water fountain, twisting the metal handle and letting the tiny arc of water fall onto his head. When his hair was wet and his face had been washed of the drying sweat, he pulled away and shook his hair like a dog, letting out a loud 'Phew!'

"How're we going to get home, then?" Ludwig asked, replaced Gilbert's spot in front of the water fountain to drown his own sweaty head in the cold and possibly contaminated public water. Gilbert plopped back down on the bench and ran his fingers through his wet hair, humming to himself.

"Do you have your phone?" He asked, raising a brow as his brother shook his hair with his hands. Ludwig nodded, then dug out his phone and tossed it at his brother. Gilbert caught it and smirked, then started searching for Feliciano's name. He couldn't find it, though, and he frowned.

"Seriously, West? Where's Feliciano's number? He's awesome enough to be in your phone!" Gilbert complained and Ludwig sighed, walking over to the bench and sitting beside the albino, taking his cell phone and surfing through it. He clicked on a name, then handed it back to Gilbert, who's brows shot up in surprise and amusement when he found Feliciano's number to be under the name _'Bergwerk_'

"You're so weird, West." Gilbert chuckled out, opening up a new text message and typing away.

'Feli, me and West are stuck at the park. The awesome me knows you live close by, so be a good kid and bring us a car. –The awesome me' Gilbert typed, then sent it and sighed. Ludwig raised a curious brow, but he didn't ask.

"When are you going out with that boy?" Ludwig asked, rubbing his sticky palms on his shorts.

"After work. We're meeting at the newsstand." Gilbert answered, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling. Soon, Ludwig's phone buzzed, and Gilbert flipped it open, opening the new message from Feliciano.

"Ve" Was all it read, and Gilbert's brows furrowed.

"I know I'm awesome and all, but what the hell does 'Ve' mean?" Gilbert asked, handing the cell phone back to his brother and getting a grunt of thanks.

"It usually means okay, but sometimes he yells it out when scared or if approached too quickly. Other times, it's kind of like a greeting. Or, if you're touching his curl, he'll murmur it under his breath. I don't know why, though, but I find it interesting." Ludwig answered, rubbing his chin in thought as he mulled over the use of Feliciano's curl.

"Did you try cutting it off?" Gilbert questioned, smiling a little, "Maybe it hurts when you tug on it?"

"I don't think it hurts…. And I like it there. I don't think I want it to be cut off." Ludwig thought aloud, sighing softly and looking around the park. Gilbert just laughed softly, then got off the bench and went over to the swings, sitting on one and slowly swinging back and forth. Ludwig kept his eyes on his brother, watching him swing.

The silence was broken when they both heard a loud and very melodic "Ve~!"

Ludwig's head spun around, and he stood up quickly when he saw Feliciano making his way towards the duo, his twin brother Lovino right behind him. Feliciano ran up to Ludwig, hugging him tightly, then pulling away with a wide smile.

"You smell sweaty." He giggled, keeping his arms around Ludwig's neck and smiling up at him. Lovino shuffled over to Gilbert, and they both watched the happy couple hold each other and talk in whispers.

"Assholes." Lovino grumbled, crossing his arms and looking away, glaring at the park benches instead of his brother. Gilbert smirked and looked down at the jealous Lovino, then roughly patted his back, almost knocking over the small Italian.

"Kesese, no need to be jealous, Lovino, you've got Antonio, right?" Gilbert chortled, making Lovino turn bright red and step away from the albino.

"I don't '_have'_ anyone! That tomato-bastard just follows me around, okay?" He complained, crossing his arms and grumbling. Gilbert just laughed more and put his hands on his hips, glancing over at the two lovebirds.

"Do you wish Antonio would do that with you?" Gilbert asked lightly as the two pressed their noses together, Ludwig glancing sideways and Feliciano laughing. Lovino glanced over at them too, then turned his eyes away and stuck out his bottom lip in a pout, trying to pretend like he didn't care, but his eyes showed the jealousy he was holding. Gilbert just smirked, then changed the subject.

"So, how did you two get here?" He asked, snapping the little Italian out of his thoughts.

"Oh, we drove Nonno's car over. He sometimes lets us drive if it's somewhere not too far." Lovino explained, pointing over at the souped-up mustang in the parking lot of the park, "We should probably get going, though. Nonno will be super pissed if he comes home to his car missing."

"You stole it? Awesome!" Gilbert laughed, ruffling Lovino's hair, then taking his arm and dragging him over to the sickeningly-sweet couple, "Hey, lovebirds, let's go! I have work!" Gilbert yelled, snapping the two out of their bubble of innocent adoration.

"R-right." Ludwig stammered, a little pink from embarrassment of becoming a perfect example of PDA. Feliciano just giggled and held the German's hand, leading him over to the black mustang and unlocking it. Lovino snatched the keys, though, making Feliciano whine and pout, but he got in the back with Ludwig anyway. Gilbert took shot-gun, and Lovino started up the car.

"We're just dropping you off at home, bastards." Lovino said, putting the car in reverse and skillfully rolling them out of the parking space and into the road. Ludwig and Feliciano continued what could've been mistaken as ear sex in the backseat, whispering to each other and sharing strange looks and small smiles.

"Mein Gott, West, can't you wait until we're home?" Gilbert complained, eyeing his flirtatious brother through the rear-view mirror. Ludwig blushed again and cleared his throat, not looking up at his brother, but they stopped whispering. Instead, they held hands silently and gazed out their windows. Lovino had turned on the radio, but it was on a song that none of them liked. Gilbert didn't know how to work the radio, though, and when they finally hit a red light, Lovino was finally able to change it.

Just as they were finally able to agree on a station to listen to, the car stopped in Ludwig and Gilbert's house. Lovino put the car in park and sighed, looking into the rearview mirror at his twin, who tilted his head towards Ludwig and raised his brows. Lovino just nodded, then looked away.

"Get out already, bastards, I wanna go home." He complained, making Gilbert snicker and step out of the automobile.

"More like you wanna go see Antonio." Gilbert pointed out, making Lovino flush a bright red and glare at the man.

"Shut up, potato-eating bastard!" He yelled, flipping Gilbert off with a proud middle finger. Ludwig stepped out too and rolled his eyes, then was followed closely by Feliciano, who clung to the German's arm.

"Oh, Feli's staying for a little." Ludwig muttered, glancing down at the brunette as he waved to his twin who was driving away. Gilbert raised his brows, then smirked and stepped into the house.

"Condoms, West. Condoms." He called out, going upstairs and getting into the shower, actually washing himself off with soap. He wished he had a cell phone to call Francis with, but he knew he would have to save up some money before he could buy a new one. He grumbled to himself, mentally noting that he should wrap the phone up in a Ziploc bag before using it in the shower next time.

When he was done, he stepped out and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist to keep himself decent while Feliciano was over. However, when he stepped out of the bathroom, he didn't hear the Italian boy, or his brother. He assumed they were whispering again, so he went to his bedroom and dried off. After dressing in comfortable clothes and grabbing a jacket, he went downstairs to find Feliciano laying on Ludwig's chest, tongues happily playing in the open for the albino to see.

"Eugh, so not awesome!" Gilbert yelled, making the two flinch and pull away from each other. Feliciano turned a dark red and sat up, playing with his hair nervously. Ludwig just frowned, his hands sliding to the Italian's thighs as he looked at his brother.

"You have work to get to." Ludwig reminded his brother, gently grasping the back of Feliciano's neck and guiding him back down so he was laying on him again. Gilbert just cringed and left, tugging his jacket on and shivering. He couldn't get the thought of his brother sleeping with Feliciano out of his mind. He started getting a little nauseous thinking about it. It wasn't that he was homophobic, since he liked looking at a guy every now and again, he just didn't like the idea of his brother doing the dirty. It was like walking in on your parents screwing when you're a kid.

When he reached the newsstand, he unlocked the door and stepped in, plopping down in his creaky chair. He let out a comfortable sigh and hooked his hands behind his head, putting his feet up on the small counter for support. His day was long and boring as per usual, but he didn't mind. He always enjoyed watching the world pass by from his little invisible newsstand, and when he got the rare customer, they were always kind and quiet. He enjoyed an exciting life with his friends, partying and spray-painting and drinking, but sitting here without a care was nice too. And it definitely kept his mind from lapsing into a panic-attack. So far, he hasn't had an attack while on the clock, and he wanted to keep it that way.

In fact, he was so relaxed that he accidentally fell asleep on the job. He woke up to soft whispering, his eyes sliding open to reveal a beautiful blond man standing on the other side of the counter, his elbows on the edge and his chin in his hands as he watched Gilbert sleep. He was humming lightly, then smiled when he saw Gilbert's eyes open.

"Morning." He said softly, laughing when Gilbert's eyes snapped open and he sat up straight. He had drunk those Robusta beans so he _wouldn't_ fall asleep! He rubbed his eyes, then checked the time to find it was already six thirty. He scolded himself, then smiled at Matthew apologetically and started packing everything away.

"I'm sorry, this isn't awesome." Gilbert muttered as he put things away in haste, unlocking the door and putting a box in the doorway, then closing the shutters and stepping out. He kicked the box back in, letting the door slide close and locking it.

"Okay!" He called out, stepping around to find Matthew patiently waiting in front of the stand, his hands in the pockets of his dark green sweater. "I have successfully packed the store away! Ready to go to the fair?"

Matthew smiled and nodded, walking with Gilbert down the street to where the fair was supposed to be. The fair in this town never really closed, it just stopped some rides in particular during the winter. However, they didn't need to worry about rides being closed or attractions being missed, since it was still mid-fall. The cold bite hasn't settled in yet, so the machines were still running.

As they walked in the night, Matthew stepped close to Gilbert, letting their arms bump against each other. Gilbert tried to keep his eyes forward, but he kept glancing down to look upon Matthew's face in the moonlight. He was smiling, like always, and he walked with his eyes forward. His blond hair bounced with each step, and Gilbert thought the light of the moon had never made anything glimmer and glow so perfectly until that night. Even Matthew's skin seemed illuminated.

Gilbert finally tore his eyes away, looking forward as a lone car passed them by. His eyes followed the car, and Matthew's own gaze went unnoticed by the albino walking beside him. Violet eyes traced pale skin and even paler hair. His eyes turned downward as Gilbert looked forward, and it seemed to both males that neither held enough interest in one another to steal glances.

They arrived at the fair in silence, and Gilbert used the money he had collected from the excruciatingly slow day at the newsstand to buy their admittance into the carnival. Once they stepped through the crudely made wooden arch that boasted a fading red and green sign with the Carnival's name etched on it, they both seemed to fill with the life the festival carried, and they grasped each other's hands and continued on.

Gilbert held down the funnel cake and lemonade they shared as they zipped down rollercoaster after rollercoaster, sharp turns giving both of them a minor case of whiplash, which only fueled their adrenaline-filled amusement. Matthew pushed aside his anthropophobia as they waited in cramped lines and pushed through crowded walkways to get from one ride to another. Gilbert happily showed off his aiming prowess at one of the small game booths, throwing darts that all hit the stars in the middle of the board, shooting water into the enlarged mouths of horrific yet hilarious looking clowns, tossing colourful rings onto the neck of a green glass bottle in the midst of browns and whites. He had collected a hoard of stuffed animals, from teddy bears to TV show characters. He had to get a bag to keep them all together. Luckily, one of the booth managers offered to hold the bag until they would head home, and Gilbert happily offered up his prizes.

Matthew clung to one stuffed bear, though, keeping the fuzzy white toy in his arms as he smiled.

"Do you like that one?" Gilbert asked with a smile, "Holding it like that makes you look really adorable."

"Eh? Well, it's all from the stuffed animal." Matthew replied, shaking his head and blushing at the compliment. He held the white bear tighter against his chest, then looked at one ride they hadn't gone on yet and grabbed Gilbert's hand.

"Come on!" He said excitedly, tugging the baffled albino behind him towards the gigantic spinning wheel that flashed red and blue in the night, flickering patterns across the white metal frame. They got in the short line, and when they boarded onto the Ferris wheel, they were given a strange look by the conductor of the ride.

"No girlfriend to accompany you?" He asked, looking at Gilbert, who just laughed softly and got on after Matthew, closing the door and leaning back on his side of the Ferris wheel. Matthew smiled and kept the bear in his lap, looking out the window as they were slowly raised higher and higher, until they were at the very top. Once they reached the height of the Ferris wheel, Matthew switched seats, squeezing in beside the surprised German. He rested his head against Gilbert's shoulder, smiling more and sighing.

"Tonight had been so great…" He whispered, allowing Gilbert to drape an arm across his slim shoulders, "I'm really glad you asked me out, Gilbert."

"I'm glad I asked you out, too!" Gilbert chortled, making Matthew laugh along with him, "I'm also glad that you think tonight was awesome."

"It was awesome." Matthew sighed out, nodding his head in confirmation, "I wish every night would be this wonderful." Gilbert looked down at Matthew, and they made eye contact. Neither of them looked away, and slowly Matthew sat up, lifting his head from Gilbert's shoulder, but not moving away. Gilbert glanced down at Matthew's lips, then back up at his eyes. Gradually, they drew closer to one another, Matthew's half-lidded eyes keeping contact with Gilbert's flirtatious reds. Matthew tilted his head to the right, and Gilbert let out a slow breath.

Just millimeters from having their lips touch, Matthew stopped advancing and became nervous. Gilbert didn't waver, and he didn't advance either.

"What's wrong?" He whispered, and Matthew shook his head carefully, breaking eye contact and looking down, towards Gilbert's pale lips.

"I… this is… This is going to be my first… with another…." He breathed, his voice shivering in excitement and anxiety. Gilbert smiled, but just barely, and he carefully brushed Matthew's hair behind his ear, earning a soft sigh from the boy.

"Mine too." He replied in hushed tones, and their eye contact was remade. Matthew swallowed his fears, then moved forward once more, and for the first time in either one of their lives, they shared an innocent and heart-felt kiss with another man. Gilbert had never expected a kiss to feel this good, and he could feel Matthew quivering from it. Their kiss was over within a few seconds of it beginning, and when they opened their eyes, Matthew was flushed pink and he smiled.

"Awesome." The Canadian breathed out, moving his arms around the chuckling albino's neck.

"Absolutely." Gilbert agreed, hugging Matthew closely by his waist. They didn't kiss a second time, because they were still floating in the magnificent feeling of their first kiss with each other. They basked in each other's presence until their Ferris wheel ride was over, and they both stepped out and walked away, hand-in-hand.

There was absolutely no way this night could get better, or worse, Gilbert thought.

"Oh, we haven't gone there, yet." Matthew said, lifting a hand and pointing over to a sign that said 'The Travelling Circus'. Gilbert's brows rose in interest, and he let himself be dragged off to the small wooden stage painted red and black. They came in the middle of one of the performances, and they had to stand pressed against the stage. Matthew looked impressed at how flexible the young woman on stage was, bending backward and poking her head between her legs, smiling at everyone and giving a wink to a few young men, Gilbert included.

"She's amazing!" Matthew gasped, watching as she crawled off stage in this twisted position. Gilbert just smiled and applauded with the rest of the onlookers. A thick looking man with defined muscles came onstage, wearing a skirt of some sort and a long, feathery headdress. It made Gilbert think of Hawaii, or some other island. The man held three wooden clubs in his hands, and he held them outstretched at both sides of him. Two assistants ran up and dabbed the tips of the clubs with some sort of liquid.

Gilbert had no clue what they were doing, but everyone looked excited. Even Matthew bit his lip as a third assistant came onstage, holding something in his fist. When the assistant reached the man, he used the item in his hand to set all three clubs on fire, and Gilbert's eyes widened and he tried backing away, but the people behind him kept him pinned against the wooden stage. He squirmed, his eyes stuck on the fire as the man began tossing them and juggling them in the air. Matthew noticed Gilbert's uneasiness, and turned to look at him with a questioning smile.

Gilbert glanced at Matthew, seeing the fire reflected in the violet eyes of his date. He could hear himself screaming in the back of his head from that night so many years ago, and he turned to look at the flaming clubs again. His vision was flickering between the present, the past, and darkness. At one point, it looked like the juggler was doing his performance in the apartment of fire, flames licking his calves and thighs, but he never wavered. Instead, he looked down at Gilbert who was still trapped, both physically and mentally, and his smile grew.

Gilbert's vision settled in the darkness, and before he knew it, he heard screams coming from every direction. He could even pick out Matthew's voice, who was crying out "Gilbert! Gilbert, oh my god!" He felt his body hit the floor, then he blacked out completely.

He awoke to a splash of cold water hitting his face, startling the man and making his eyes snap open. He was greeted by a man with blond hair and blue eyes hidden behind glasses. He smiled a wide, obnoxious grin, then patted Gilbert's cheek gently.

"Wakey wakey, dude. He's okay!" The man announced, a room of relieved sighs following afterwards. Gilbert groaned and rubbed his forehead, pushing himself up into a sitting position. He was still at the circus, but Matthew was nowhere to be found. The fire juggler was standing in the crowd of people without his headdress, and he wore a guilty but relieved expression.

"What happened?" Gilbert muttered, getting the blond man's attention once more.

"You fainted, man! Well, you started hyperventilating first, _then_ you fainted. You're so lucky I know CPR, dude!" The blond stated excitedly, patting Gilbert's back and chuckling. Gilbert's eyes widened, and he began wiping at his mouth furiously, making the man laugh harder.

"Calm down, calm down! I'm a fireman, I used a mouth guard." The man chuckled, lifting up the strange piece of plastic, "Anyway, it's not like I have mono or anything."

Gilbert glanced from the plastic to the fireman, then he looked around to the slowly dissipating crowd. The fireman was on his knees before Gilbert, wearing a simple red t-shirt and some jeans. Then, someone else came walking up to the fireman with a bottle of Gatorade. When he knelt down, Gilbert saw it was the policeman, Arthur.

"Drink a little too much, lad?" Arthur asked, and the fireman gave a curious look to the policeman.

"You know him, Artie?" He asked, making the Brit roll his eyes and hand over the Gatorade.

"Drink this, and you'll be feeling better in no time. Al, we have to call his father to come get him." Arthur said, looking at 'Al' and frowning. Al frowned too, then scratched the back of his head and looked at Gilbert, who was carefully sipping the purple Gatorade.

"Who do you want us to call, dude?" Al asked, whipping out his cell phone and preparing to call anyone. Gilbert smiled a little and Arthur rolled his eyes.

"You're awesome." Gilbert said first, making Al smile a little and chuckle.

"Don't inflate his ego, he's already a narcissistic whore." Arthur spat, making Al's smile die a little.

"Can you call my friend Antonio?" Gilbert asked, rubbing his forehead again and giving up the Spaniard's number. "Hey, did you see a blond run off? My age, a little shorter, purple eyes…."

Al dialed the number and pressed the phone to his ear, but he shook his head no to Gilbert's question. Arthur shrugged next, then shook his head.

"Sorry, lad. When we got here, you were alone." Arthur said, making Gilbert frown and drink more Gatorade. He figured he ran off because of his anthropophobia, but Gilbert was still a little upset that he wasn't there when he woke up.

"Alrighty, Antonio is on his way. Come on, we'll wait with you by the entrance." Al said, gripping both of Gilbert's arms and tugging him to his feet, lifting up the man so quickly, Gilbert felt a little emasculated.

"Alfred, put him down, he can walk." Arthur scolded, glaring at the taller man, who frowned and set the albino down. Gilbert just smiled weakly, then walked quietly with the bickering duo towards the gate. When they arrived, Gilbert scratched the back of his head and pointed to Alfred.

"So, are you his roommate?" Gilbert asked, curious about how these two knew each other and why they fought so often. Alfred smiled at the change in subject, then nodded quickly.

"Actually, I'm his boyfriend." Alfred announced, making Arthur stammer and strike the fireman's shoulder.

"Idiot! Don't go shouting that like some loon! Someone might hear!" Arthur hissed, glancing nervously at the chuckling German.

"Oh come on, Artie, what's wrong with loving a dude?" Alfred complained, pulling the infuriated Brit into a hug and swinging him around.

"Dammit, Alfred, put me down!" Arthur gasped, clutching to his shirt so he wouldn't slip. Gilbert was laughing at the scene, thoroughly amused by their relationship now.

"Hey, it's not bad if you're gay. In fact, it's pretty awesome." Gilbert said kindly, making Alfred beam and look down at Arthur.

"Hear that? Now will you come out of your god-forsaken closet already?" Alfred teased, pinching Arthur's cheek and chuckling. Arthur just huffed and shoved away from Alfred, straightening out his shirt then crossing his arms. Gilbert just laughed with Alfred, and soon a horribly graphitized blue car came rolling to the sidewalk, parking before the trio. Gilbert groaned in fear, crossing his arms.

"Oh, not awesome…" He muttered, making Alfred raise a brow.

"What's the matter, man?" He asked, and Gilbert shook his head, watching as Ludwig and Antonio stepped out of the car. Ludwig headed straight for the albino, hands balled into fists and mouth drawn in a tight line.

"Antonio brought my brother." Gilbert muttered, making both Alfred and Arthur cringe. When Ludwig reached the trio, he grabbed Gilbert's wrist and tugged him towards the car. Al and Artie waved bye, and Gilbert waved back at them before he was shoved into the back of their lemon. When Gilbert was successfully trapped in the backseat, Antonio got back in the driver's and Ludwig in the passenger's.

"Are you okay?" Ludwig asked first, turning in his seat to have a good look at his pale brother as Antonio drove. Gilbert just nodded silently, wringing his hands together.

"I'm fine, West. Hey, can I use your phone to call Francis? I wanna hear what he thinks…" Gilbert asked, and Ludwig sighed and dug out his phone.

"Where was your date, anyway? Matthew?" Ludwig asked next as Gilbert dialed the Frenchman's number.

"He left after I knocked out. He's got anthropo-something-or-other." Gilbert explained as he dialed Francis' number. Antonio glanced at Ludwig, who frowned more and looked at Antonio. Gilbert got a hold of Francis, and they began talking about Matthew and the fair and how Gilbert won so many prizes but forgot to pick them up.

When Antonio brought them to home, Ludwig let Gilbert out, then let Antonio out and grabbed his wrist.

"I need to talk to you privately." Ludwig whispered, getting a nod from the Spaniard. Gilbert just waltzed into the house, going straight to his room to continue talking to Francis. When Gilbert and Antonio were alone in the living room, Antonio plopped down on the couch and sighed, throwing his feet on the table.

"What's is it, mi amigo?" Antonio asked, smiling in a friendly way, even as Ludwig scowled at the shoes on the table.

"Well… have you heard Antonio talk about Francis before? Has he ever mention Francis to you?" Ludwig asked, and Antonio thought hard about the question, but shook his head.

"Tonight was the first time I heard him mention a Francis." Antonio said, taking his feet off the table and leaning forward, "You know, lately he's been really dazed out. And he isn't the kind of man to faint randomly. Is he sick?"

"No, I don't think so." Ludwig muttered, "He's been diagnosed with PTSD, though, which explains the fainting."

"PTSD?" Antonio asked, his brows knitting together downwards.

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." Ludwig elaborated, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, "Don't tell him I told you this, but when he was younger, he was in a really horrible fire. He almost died from it. Apparently, the firemen rescuing the occupants failed to check the room he was in until the last minute, when he was unconscious from oxygen deprivation. He's had nightmares of it ever since, and sometimes he has flashback episodes."

"Why didn't he tell me this?" Antonio questioned, feeling deceived. He was shocked to hear that his_ best_ friend had been diagnosed with such a terrible disorder, and that he had been in a life-threatening situation when he was younger.

"He doesn't really want others to know. He's ashamed of it." Ludwig answered, running his fingers through his slicked back hair, "I thought you should know, though, since you always seem to be with him."

"And how does Francis tie into all of this?" Antonio asked next, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Well… I haven't heard him mention Francis or having therapy sessions until this week. In fact, I only started noticing him calling people in the night last week. He says he's been talking to Francis for a while, and that our father gave him the number, but I haven't heard a thing about it." Ludwig explained, leaning back against the couch and crossing his arms. Antonio nodded silently, thinking over the situation.

"So you're worried that he's talking to a potentially dangerous person?" Antonio clarified, getting a nod from the fourteen-year-old, "I see…" The brunette hummed, rubbing his chin further and mulling it over.

"Have you tried calling Francis?" Antonio asked next, and Ludwig's eyes widened at the idea.

"I haven't…" He muttered, and Antonio smiled and snapped his fingers.

"Ah, mi amigo, maybe you should try that then! I have to head home, but tell me what happens when you call him, si?" Antonio said, getting off the couch and smiling. Ludwig nodded quickly, standing too.

"Thank you, Antonio. I'll definitely let you know." He said, seeing the Spaniard out. When he closed the door, he could hear Gilbert still talking to Francis, and he knew he would have to wait until Gilbert fell asleep to contact the therapist.


	5. At Home

Orange nails: Never said Mattie wasn't there ;D But I saw that movie in health class, and dear _god_ is it an amazing movie! I thought it was brilliant, hehe

* * *

><p><em>Ring. Ring. Ring….<em>

"_We're sorry; you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. If you feel you have reached this recording in error, please check the number and try your call again."_

Ludwig frowned and pulled the phone away from his ear, looking at the number his own brother had dialed. It was a standard phone number, and it looked real, so he redialed the number and tried again, holding the phone against his ear as he heard ringing. A click sounded once more, and the female voice came back, replaying the pre-recorded message about this phone number not existing.

The blond German was confused. Actually, he was beyond confused. He pulled the phone away from his ear and looked down at the machinery, as if it was the phone's fault for not being able to connect him to whoever his brother had been talking to. Maybe the man wasn't really a prisoner, and instead he was some sort of drug lord or mafia head or something, planning to use Gilbert to point the evidence towards so he could get out scot-free! Ludwig shook his head, frowning at the stupid idea he had just had.

Ludwig put the phone down, still staring at it, until a new idea popped up in his mind. He quickly ran up the stairs, two at a time, then he grabbed his laptop and hopped back down, trying to be quick but quiet at the same time. He didn't want to wake up Gilbert only to have him question what he was doing at the moment.

He placed the laptop on the coffee table and Googled the phone numbers of prisons in their state. When he got a lengthy list of prisons, he quickly dialed the first one and held it to his ear, waiting until he got a hold of one the warden.

"Hello, I'm sorry for bothering you, but do you have a Mr. Francis Bonnefoy in your prison by any chance?" Ludwig asked kindly, and he repeated this question for an hour longer as he called each and every prison. He even called a few prisons outside of their state, and yet, he got the same answer.

"I'm sorry, there's no record of a Francis Bonnefoy in our systems." They would tell the German, agitating him even further.

"I see… Thank you for checking." Ludwig would reply politely, hanging up afterwards to call the next prison. He was sure Francis wouldn't be in a prison outside of the country since Gilbert told him he called the man during the night, when both of them were asleep, so he began searching high and low for any record of the man. He came across Facebook pages and Myspace profiles of multiple Francis Bonnefoys, but none of them had been imprisoned or were working as telephone therapists.

Ludwig sighed and placed another call, tapping his foot anxiously as he heard the other person grumble into the speaker.

"Hola?" Antonio mumbled tiredly, obviously just awoken from the call.

"Antonio, it's Ludwig. You need to come over." Ludwig said grimly, surfing through profile after profile and not finding one profile that matched what he knew about Francis. A soft and long sigh came from the other end, then the sound of a bed creaking and a drawer opening.

"I'll be there in ten minutos." Antonio said, making Ludwig grunt in confirmation. He hung up afterwards, tossing the phone onto the couch beside him as he continued his search. Could it be possible that Gilbert had lied about the man? Maybe he wasn't actually talking to a phone therapist after all? Or, the phone therapist could have lied to Gilbert, giving him a fake name and a fake occupation in order to learn more about the albino in order to steal his social security number in the future. Ludwig clicked his tongue and shook his head again, deciding to keep his crazy plots to himself, since he knew something that drastic wouldn't happen to either of them.

Antonio arrived after ten minutes from being called, much to Ludwig's surprise. He would have imagined the Spaniard to arrive late, but he didn't complain. He allowed the tanned man in the house, closing the door quietly behind him, then leading Antonio into the living room, where the computer waited.

"I've tried calling the number Gilbert used, but I can't reach anyone. I called all of the prisons in our state, but none of them have a man named Francis Bonnefoy in their systems. I can't even find a Facebook profile of the man." Ludwig explained, showing Antonio his laptop screen that currently had a picture of some dark-haired boy licking another boy's ear. Antonio hummed thoughtfully, clicking back and scrolling through the long list of Francis Bonnefoy.

"This definitely is suspicious, mi amigo…" Antonio noted, rubbing his chin, then picking up the phone and calling the number Gilbert had used to contact Francis, getting the same error message Ludwig received.

"Do you think the number somehow only works for Gilbert?" Ludwig asked, sitting on the couch beside Antonio and looking at the older man's face. The brunette thought about it, looking at the phone, then back at the computer, then he smiled and snapped his fingers.

"A-ha! I have it. Why don't you ask to speak to Francis in the middle of one of Gilbert's sessions?" Antonio suggested, making blue eyes light up in surprise that he didn't think of such a brilliant plan before.

"That's… That's genius." Ludwig complimented, making Antonio laugh and shake his head. He got to his feet and yawned, ruffling his curly hair with his fingertips.

"Yeah, I try. Can I crash here? I don't want to walk home." Antonio asked, pointing down at the couch and getting a quick nod from Ludwig.

"Of course. I'll get you a blanket." Ludwig said, getting up and scurrying up the stairs. When the blond was out of sight, Antonio's carefree smile dropped into a worried frown, and he sat before the laptop once more and searched some more, coming across a news article that made his sun-kissed skin whiten from concern. He knew he couldn't show this to Ludwig yet, so when he heard the boy coming down the stairs, he quickly exited out of the window, closing the laptop and smiling once more.

"Gracias, mi amigo! I'll see you in the morning!" He cheered quietly, taking the blanket and pillow, then setting himself up in a small, not so comfortable bed on the couch. Ludwig gathered up his laptop and the papers strewn across the dining room table, then went back to his room. He was eager to know who this Francis person really was, and felt wrongfully excited when he heard his brother cry out in agony and fear only an hour later.

"W-West!" He heard the shriek from across the house, and he could hear the couch squeak from Antonio sitting up quickly. Ludwig quickly forced himself off of his bed and bolted down the hallway, walking straight past Antonio who had just reached the top of the stairs.

"What's going on?" He asked tiredly, rubbing one of his eyes and watching as Ludwig pushed Gilbert's bedroom door open. Antonio stepped into the doorway, frowning as he saw his best friend convulsing on his bed, whimpering pitifully as Ludwig knelt on the bed beside him and gripped his shoulders.

"Brother, calm down!" Ludwig demanded, shaking his brother gently to try and snap him out of his episode. Gilbert stopped twitching soon and begun shivering, eyes locking onto Ludwig's face.

"The phone…" He whispered, the vein in his neck pulsing rapidly and a thick bead of sweat running down his forehead, "Ludwig, the phone…" He begged, rolling his head from side to side, making his bangs stick to his brow and neck.

"Of course. Just a minute." Ludwig muttered, getting off the bed and pushing past the stunned Antonio, who continued staring at his still moaning friend. He wasn't sure if he should move forward and try and comfort him or not, and he found he was moving before he decided. He bent down beside the bed, grabbing Gilbert's arm and startling the man.

"Gil, Gil, calm down, it's me." Antonio whispered, getting his attention. Gilbert swallowed heavily, his dry throat burning as it clamped together. Gilbert looked over Antonio's face, a confused look coming over him.

"What…. What are you doing here?" He asked weakly, his whole being shivering as he slowly came down from his last episode. Antonio smiled softly, squeezing Gilbert's arm gently.

"Don't worry about that. Are you okay?" Antonio asked in a soft voice, looking into red on red eyes and getting a nervous stare in return. Gilbert closed his eyes for a minute, then slowly nodded, flinching again when Ludwig came back and handed Gilbert the phone. Gilbert clutched the phone tightly, jamming his fingers against the glowing neon buttons, then holding it to his ear and closing his eyes.

"Go away…" He muttered, making Ludwig frown and Antonio raise a brow. Neither of them moved, Ludwig wanting to find out who Francis was, and Antonio wanting to make sure Gilbert was okay. When neither of them moved, Gilbert ground his teeth together, then snapped his eyes open and glared at the both of them.

"GO AWAY!" He yelled, startling the both of them. Gilbert scrambled off the bed and Antonio bolted through the door. Ludwig followed after the Spaniard quickly, tugging the door shut behind him and leaning against it. Antonio was only a few steps away, and he looked at Ludwig with worried frown.

"We'll give him ten minutes." Ludwig mumbled, running his fingers through his hair and heading downstairs to start breakfast. Antonio watched Ludwig descend the steps, then turned to look at the door silently before he returned to the first floor with the younger German.

* * *

><p>"Good <em>morning<em>!" A light and happy voice sing-sang as a blond hopped up and leaned against the edge of the newsstand Gilbert was sitting in. The albino glanced up, then smiled and sat up straight, putting down his job ad he was going through.

"Matthew!" He called out excitedly, leaning forward and narrowing his eyes at the boy, still smiling, "You're unawesome! You left me alone at the fair!"

Matthew frowned, his eyebrows rising and a blush coming across his cheeks, "W-well… you just collapsed so suddenly! I went and got Alfred to come save you, but I became so nervous about being alone in such a huge crowd, that I went home. I'm sorry." He jutted out his lower lip in an apologetic pout, making the albino blush and smile.

"Hey, no worries. I had to go home afterwards, anyway." Gilbert reassured the blond, unlocking the door and pushing it open for Matthew to come sit with him. The blond smiled and stepped in, plopping down on the cardboard box and putting his hands in his pockets.

"I'm glad you're not mad." He said with a smile, resting his back against the wooden wall of the shack. Gilbert put his feet back up on the counter and snorted, putting his hands behind his head to support his lazy neck muscles.

"Nah, I understand. I think I would've ran away if my date just collapsed too." Gilbert said honestly, laughing softly. Matthew smiled with the albino, then turned a soft red and shifted on his cardboard box seat.

"Um… so… I… I had a lot of fun last night." Matthew stammered out, wringing his hands together in his sweater pocket. Gilbert smiled and nodded, closing his eyes and sighing.

"It was a lot of fun." He agreed. Even though he had fainted from the circus, the feeling of being with Matthew and kissing him in the Ferris wheel outweighed the bad. Anyway, all dates probably had to have something bad happen during the day. That's what Gilbert believed.

Matthew nodded slowly, taking one hand out of his pocket to mess with his glasses and his hair. Gilbert was intrigued by this, wondering if the boy was doing it on purpose or subconsciously. Either way, he was making himself look more adorable.

"Maybe we could go out again sometime?" Matthew asked nervously, shrugging his shoulders and entertaining himself with the strange stains on the grey walls. Gilbert was surprised at this suggestion, and his smile widened even further. He let out a broken laugh, unsure whether to keep laughing or if it was rude, but he couldn't help it.

Matthew shied his gaze away even further, lowering his head until his bangs were curtaining his delicate features. Gilbert leaned forward and tilted his head upward, looking up at Matthew's hidden face that was covered with red and embarrassment.

"Hey, what's that face for? Of course I'd go out again with someone as awesome as you!" Gilbert answered happily, making Matthew's violet eyes glitter with wonder and glee, and he tossed his arms around the albino's neck, pulling him into a tight and heart-felt embrace. Gilbert flinched at the hug, but he let his head be cradled against Matthew's chest and he casually slipped his arms around the boy's waist.

After a while of hugging, Matthew slowly loosened his grip, backing away far enough so they could look into each other's eyes, but close enough that their arms were comfortably looped around one another. Uneasiness shone in Matthew's eyes, and soon Gilbert's own reflected the emotion.

"Hey, what's the matter, Mattie?" He whispered, making the blond flush at the pet name.

"I'm worried." He whispered, his eyebrows arching upward and his eyes glinting in fear as if to prove that he was telling the truth.

"About…?" Gilbert coaxed, tilting his head to the side, his breath falling against Matthew's neck. Matthew closed his eyes and let out a slow sigh, as if deciding whether or not he should tell Gilbert what was on his mind. After a few quiet seconds, Matthew lifted his head, his eyes focused on the collar of Gilbert's _Oomph!_ t-shirt. He let his hands run down the albino's shoulders, gripping the cloth around his collar as he straightened the clothing around Gilbert's neck, his light touches sending shivers up the German's spine.

"This is the first time I've ever been so comfortable with touching and kissing…. Not to mention with another man. I guess I'm just worried that… that my anthropophobia is just going to come back and ruin everything." He admitted softly, then cast a sideways glance at the stacked cardboard boxes beside his settle.

"Is that all?" Gilbert asked gently, letting Matthew's hands trail languidly down his chest and onto his stomach where they fell onto his own knees, palm upwards and fingers relaxed.

"I'm also worried that… if my anthropophobia doesn't come back, you'll just forget me and leave me like everyone else did before." Matthew added, and Gilbert clicked his tongue at his troubles. A pale hand grasped Matthew's chin, tilting his head upwards with momentum, but softly. Their eyes met, serious to fearsome.

"Hey, I'm not like those other guys. I take care of the things that are most important." Gilbert promised, disregarding his pet bird that he never fed and the cell phone he short-circuited, "I'm not just going to forget about you, and you better not forget about me. I'm too awesome to forget or be forgotten! So stop with the _un_awesome frowning, and trust me a little, okay, Birdie?"

Matthew's eyes enlarged at the demands the albino made and his cheeks were aglow as his heart hammered in his chest.

"Gilbert…. I…." He began, but was quickly cut off to a loud shout from across the street.

"Hey! Gilbert, dude, you work _here?_" The loud and obnoxious voice echoed from building to building, making Gilbert jerk his head towards the call. He saw the fireman Alfred from the fair and Arthur walking across the street, headed for Gilbert's little kiosk.

Gilbert turned his head back to where Matthew was, but saw he had ran off. He didn't even hear what the blond had wanted to say to him, and that immediately threw him in a bad mood. However, his bad mood was annihilated when Arthur and Alfred reached the newsstand, tossing a McDonald's hamburger at him.

"Here you go, you must be hungry." Arthur said kindly after handing over the sandwich. Gilbert smiled widely and tore away the wrapping, biting into the buns and meat in delight.

"Oh you have no idea!" Gilbert crooned through a stuffed mouth. Arthur cringed at the sight of chewed food, sticking his hands in the pockets of his dress pants.

"Going somewhere fancy?" Gilbert questioned after swallowing, eyes running over the Brit's suit and tie.

"Nope, he dresses like this all the time." Alfred snorted, wiping a yellow-gloved hand against his soot and charcoal-covered face. He was dressed in faded yellow pants that were held up by red-orange suspenders. The black muscle-shirt he wore underneath was tucked messily beneath the hem. He even sported his yellow hard-hat on, but his was tilted to the side.

"Just get off work?" Gilbert asked next, making the fireman's brow raise and he looked down at himself.

"No, he dresses like a slob all the time." Arthur retorted with a snort, getting a nasty glare from the taller blond to the left of him. The Englishman simply crossed his arms and jutted out his lower lip in a pout, and soon Alfred was smiling at his boyfriend.

Gilbert just chuckled and finished off his burger, crumpling up the wrapping that it came in and tossing it into the garbage bin. He patted his hands together to rid them of crumbs, then sat up straight and smiled, "So, what're you two doing around here?"

"Oh, Artie wanted to walk around with me, so we did, then I saw you, and here we are." Alfred answered casually, getting a spluttering stammer from the short blond beside him.

"I was picking him up from work." Arthur corrected, "It's not like I _wanted_ to walk with you!"

"Oh, you're so far in the closet it's not even funny. But it sure is cute." Alfred flirted, making eyes at Arthur, who was busy letting his cheeks burn up from embarrassment.

"Shut up, git." He growled back, making both Gilbert and Fireman laugh. Gilbert leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the counter top.

"Hey do you two want to hang out here? It's better than standing around." Gilbert suggested, and they both accepted immediately. The albino unlocked the door and held it open for the two, and when they stepped in, Alfred nabbed the cardboard box everyone seemed to love to sit on. Arthur just leaned against the counter, not even trying to sit on the strip of wood.

"Okay, so, you're a policeman?" Gilbert asked, pointing at Arthur who crossed his arms and nodded, "And you're a fireman?" He moved his point over to the obvious fireman sitting on the cardboard box, who smiled and tilted his hardhat.

"How the hell did you two meet?" Gilbert asked next, raising a brow at the two. Arthur frowned and blushed and Alfred just smiled more.

"There was a house fire he was in, and when we went in to clear the place, I got to carry him out. When he was safe, he jumped me." Alfred explained with a carefree smirk, and Arthur glared at the blond.

"I did no such thing!" Arthur scoffed, slapping the fireman's shoulder in retaliation, "I thanked him kindly for rescuing me, then offered to have tea with him as a show of my gratitude!"

"Dude, you sucked me dry in my car when I was taking you to your mother's!" Alfred laughed, getting another slap to the shoulder. Gilbert just snorted and covered his mouth in embarrassment.

"Not to mention the heavy petting in your bedroom that night." Alfred added, suffering a few more slaps and smacks on his shoulders and chest to get him to shut up.

"Wow, so much for don't kiss and tell." Gilbert remarked, getting the fighting duo's attention. One smiled, the other scowled, but soon they both started laughing.

"Okay, fine, I was a little desperate back then, but so was he!" Arthur admitted, giving Alfred a final shove in the shoulder, "This git was practically begging to romp the third night we met!"

"Hey, it's not my fault you were giving me mixed signals about our sex life!" Alfred complained, sticking his tongue out at the blond who mirrored his action.

"Wow, you two were made for each other." Gilbert noted, chuckling softly to himself. Arthur and Alfred looked at Gilbert, then laughed along with him.

"Oh, hey, dude, so you wanna hang around the firehouse sometime? I've got nothing better to do, and you're pretty cool." Alfred suggested, taking off his hard hat and putting it in his lap, displaying his messy and matted up hair. Gilbert shrugged, knowing that if he went around there, he would probably just suffer another episode.

"I'll think about it. It sounds pretty awesome." Gilbert nodded, putting his feet up on the counter.

"If not, you could always come to the police station and hang out with me." Arthur offered, "It's pretty much the same thing. Sit around, do nothing, eat donuts, go home."

"I think I'll go for the donuts." Gilbert answered with a smirk, getting a light chuckle out of the Brit.

"Hey, Artie, we should probably go, I gotta get back to the station." Alfred said, getting up and stepping out the door, "I'm going ahead!"

"Alright, alright, I'll catch up." Arthur called out, looking out the window to see the fireman walking down the street. He sighed and leaned back against the wall, a fond smile on his face.

"Wow, you really like him, huh? That's pretty awesome." Gilbert chuckled, making the Brit turn red and look away.

"It's not like that." He mutters, crossing his arms one again, "He's just a friend."

"Yeah, right." Gilbert snorted, "He's a pretty interesting guy. The awesome me wouldn't let someone like that slip away by denying his affection all the time."

Arthur's eyes widened at this, then he frowned and ran his fingers through his hair, "I guess…" He mumbled, then pushed the door open and stepped out, "I'll see you later, lad."

Gilbert just smirked and leaned out the window to watch Arthur run to catch up with the fireman. As the two walked together, Arthur nonchalantly grasped Alfred's hand, stepping closer to the man so their shoulders were pressed up against each other. Gilbert chuckled softly as the couple walked away, then he leaned back in his booth and sighed. He briefly wondered if he and Matthew would look like that when they were a little older, and he smiled at the thought.

In the middle of his thought, though, he was startled by a small giggle.

"Those two are kind of funny." The voice said, making Gilbert jump and look to see Matthew sitting on the cardboard box, smiling cutely.

"Matthew!" Gilbert wheezed, gripping his chest to calm his racing heart, "How did you get in?"

"Huh? The door was unlocked." Matthew answered as if it was obvious, "Sorry for running off again."

"Hey, it's okay. I'm getting used to it." Gilbert said honestly, disregarding Matthew's answer, "So, you wanted to go out again, right?"

"Oh, yeah, if you don't mind." Matthew replied shyly, smiling and twisting the edge of his sweater in both hands, "We could meet up here again if you want to."

"Or we could go out tonight?" Gilbert suggested, getting a surprised expression from the blond, "Go catch a movie or something. Have some dinner. I'm off in thirty minutes."

"Um, okay! Do you think we could have dinner at… at your house maybe? I don't want to be around so many people…" Matthew mumbles, turning a little red.

"What? What about the movies?" Gilbert questioned, quirking an eyebrow at his shy date.

"Well, it'll be dark there, so it won't really matter. Plus, there won't be anyone to ask me questions. Other than you." Matthew said with a sheepish smile, playing with his hair nervously. Gilbert thought about it, then nodded when he understood Matthew's way of thinking.

"Fair enough." He said, then smiled, "Awesome! We can share soda, too! And make out in the dark!"

Matthew blushed even more and laughed, covering his cheeks with his hands, "Gilbert!" He whined, still smiling.

"What? Who _wouldn't_ want to make out with you?" Gilbert snorted, leaning forward slightly and looking into his eyes. Matthew just shook his head and covered his eyes next, still laughing in a shy manner.

"You're so mean!" Matthew whined, giggling softly and peeking through his fingers at the chuckling albino before him. Gilbert wrapped his arms around Matthew's thin waist, pulling him closer and pressing their foreheads together. Matthew dropped his hands from his face and moved them around Gilbert's neck, smiling still. Gilbert waited until Matthew closed his eyes, then he tilted his chin forward and pressed his lips against Matthew's, who squeaked and flinched away in surprise.

"Gilbert!" Matthew scolded, furrowing his brows at the man. Gilbert just laughed softly, keeping Matthew close to him.

"Come on, you think it's awesome. You like kissing me." Gilbert flirted, making eyes at the blond in his arms. Matthew just rolled his eyes, then smiled and kissed Gilbert in return, sighing against his lips.

"We are so not making out in the theater." Matthew whispered with a smirk, getting a whine from Gilbert.

* * *

><p>Ludwig sighed as he walked down the stairs, rubbing his sore eyes. He had been researching Gilbert's therapist, Francis Bonnefoy, all day, and now he just really needed a snack. When he arrived in the kitchen, however, he came face to face with his brother with two plates in both hands covered with wurst and potatoes and even some stollen. Gilbert looked up at Ludwig and smiled, grabbing two forks while balancing the plates on one arm.<p>

"Hey, West. I have a Matthew over, so do you mind if we get a little privacy?" Gilbert asked, putting the forks on each plate, then heading for the stairs. Ludwig frowned more and watched as his brother ascended the steps.

"Uh… can I meet him?" Ludwig asked next, getting a snort from the albino.

"No. He's anthropophobic. He said he's too nervous to meet new people." Gilbert stated, walking up the wooden steps. Ludwig raised a brow and crossed his arms.

"Didn't you just meet him a few days ago?" Ludwig pointed out, making Gilbert stop and look back at the younger boy.

"West, come on, I don't want to scare him off on our second date." Gilbert whined, reaching the top of the stairs, then heading for his bedroom, "I'm just asking for a night to ourselves, okay?"

"Okay, brother…" Ludwig muttered out, watching as Gilbert stepped into his bedroom, closing the door behind him and locking it. Ludwig shook his head slowly, then pulled open the fridge and took out a tub wurst and heating it up. When he had his meat and a fork, he quietly went upstairs, cutting the sausage up in slices and stalking over to his brother's room, pressing his ear against the door to hear Gilbert laughing loudly and the bed creaking.

"Do it again!" Gilbert pleaded, chuckling softly. No reply came, or at least none that Ludwig could hear, and he heard his brother plead even more, "Please! Do it!"

Ludwig shook his head gently, then stepped away from his brother's bedroom and went to his own, closing the door behind him and sitting at his computer, opening up Google Chrome and typing in his most popular search. He continued eating as he jumped to the page he left off on, wading through the random websites and ads without coming up with anything. He grumbled softly, biting his sausage as he stared intently at the screen.

When he decided he would no longer be able to get the information he wanted by himself, he grabbed his cell phone and dialed for Antonio.

"Hola! This is Antonio!" Antonio cried when he answered the phone, the complaining whine of Lovino in the background.

"I'm… sorry. Did I call you at a bad time?" Ludwig asked first, wondering what Antonio would be doing at seven at night with one of the Vargas brothers.

"Nah, I was just hanging out with mi novio." Antonio waved it off, another shrieking complaint being heard from Lovino. "What's up?"

"I hit a road block." Ludwig went straight to the point, rubbing his forehead, "I can't reach Francis, I can't find a profile for Francis, I can't locate which prison Francis is at, and Gilbert won't let me talk to him!"

"Ay, calmate, calmate." Antonio sighed, a shuffling noise in the background and a long whine, "Do you want my advice?"

"Sure…" Ludwig muttered, adjusting his seating position and holding the phone firm against his ear.

"Leave it alone. This Francis hombre isn't telling Gilbert to do stupid things. In fact, if Gilbert says he's a therapist, then he's a therapist! I think he might even be helping him, tambien." Antonio pointed out, making Ludwig groan and rub his forehead once more.

"But it's my brother! I don't want him to be talking to some mentally unstable homicidal murderer who likes to go after albinos!" Ludwig complained, getting a light chuckle from his brother's friend.

"Ludwig, I'm sure Gilbert is fine. I'm sure the man he's talking to is okay. Just leave it alone, okay? Go hang out with Feliciano, I'm sure he wouldn't mind some of that stalkerish attention." Antonio joked lightly, hanging up afterwards to tend to his Italian interest. Ludwig sighed and closed the phone, tossing it onto his bed in defeat.

He knew he wouldn't get anywhere like this, but he just wanted to keep his brother safe. He didn't want to lose another family member. But, Antonio was right. He was spending a little too much time with this. He got up and grabbed his phone again, then sprawled out on his bed and dialed Feliciano's number.

"Ve~?" Feliciano called out upon answering his phone, and Ludwig smiled softly and sighed.

"Gute nacht, schön." Ludwig said in a stern voice, but Feliciano giggled anyway.

"Ciao, Ludwig! I was just making some dessert! Do you want me to bring you some?" Feliciano asked happily, the sound of him cooking in the background.

"That would be nice. Hey, do you want to spend the night?" Ludwig asked next, getting up and looking at himself in the mirror, wanting to look his best for when Feliciano arrived.

"Hmmm…. Okay! I'll be over there in thirty minutes!" The Italian said, then hung up afterwards, leaving the blond German to primp himself up in his mirror. His primping was interrupted, however, when he heard his brother's bedroom door open.

"Hey, you'll come over again sometime soon, right?" Gilbert asked, his voice muffled by the walls. Ludwig frowned and quietly walked over to his door, pushing it open and peeking out to see his brother walking downstairs, his back blocking whoever was in front of him.

"Don't worry about West, he won't bug us." Gilbert said next with a small laugh, and soon they were hidden by the staircase. Ludwig quietly and quickly went over to the railing, peeking out through the dark brown wooden bars to see Gilbert standing by the open door.

"Okay. Alright, awesome. Yeah, I'll be there tomorrow. Okay, bye, Matthew." He called out, waving a hand, then closing the door and sighing. He had a stupid grin on his face, then begun walking up the stairs. Ludwig frowned and quickly ducked into his bedroom, keeping it open just a crack to peek out and watch as his brother stepped into his room, then reemerged with two plates. One was empty, and the other was still covered in food.

Ludwig closed the door and frowned more, rubbing his chin in thought. That boy must be soft-spoken, and not much of an eater. Then again, he was told by Feliciano that German food wasn't always the tastiest…

He went to his cell phone and picked it up, flipping it open and looking at it, contemplating whether or not he should call Antonio and ask him.

"West, I'm going to bed!" Gilbert called out, the door to his bedroom slamming shut after his announcement. Ludwig sighed, then snapped the phone shut and placed it on his desk. He would just have to take matters into his own hands, like before.


	6. At The Doctors

You guys are going to hate me xD

* * *

><p>"Ludwig, I'm going out with Matthew!" Gilbert called out, running down the stairs while tugging on his leather jacket, "I'll be back after dinner!"<p>

"Again? This is the fourth time this week, brother." Ludwig called back, turning from his seat on the couch, one arm draped across Feliciano's shoulders, who was currently sleeping against the German's shoulder. Gilbert shrugged and opened the door.

"And this is the fourth time this week that you've had Feliciano over. I'm not complaining." Gilbert snorted, getting a roll of the eyes from his brother. He left the two alone, walking down the sidewalk to meet with Matthew at the newsstand. Even though it was closed today, they would still depend on the landmark to meet each other. When he arrived, he saw the blond standing against the kiosk with his hands in his pockets, looking bored and lonely.

Gilbert smiled and went straight to him, startling the blond when he wrapped his arms around him from the side, pulling him against his chest. Matthew squealed and laughed, gripping the zipper halves with both hands as he was spun around.

"Hey there." Matthew said when he was put down, wrapping his arms around the albino's neck. They had been dating for a while now, so Matthew was quite comfortable with the closeness. Gilbert liked to imagine that he was helping the blond fight through his anthropophobia, hoping that he'd be able to introduce the blond to his brother at one point or another.

"Hey, Mattie! Ready to go?" Gilbert asked, taking Matthew's hand and walking with him down the street. The blond just smiled and walked with him, brushing his hair behind his ear.

"So where are we going today, eh?" Matthew asked, looking up at his pale counterpart in curiosity.

"We are going to go to a restaurant!" Gilbert said excitedly, making Matthew frown and pull his hand away.

"Gilbert, I told you, I don't want to go to a restaurant." He complained, giving his date a stern look, "Can't we just eat at your house again?"

"Aww, come on. I want to go out to an awesome little restaurant with you. Show you off, you know?" Gilbert whined, giving Matthew puppy-eyes.

"No, I don't want to go to a restaurant!" Matthew practically yelled, no longer walking and crossing his arms, "I'm not going!"

"What? Unawesome, Matthew. I made reservations and everything!" Gilbert huffed, putting his hands on his hips and narrowing his eyes at the blond, "Can't you just bite back your shyness for one night? I mean, we went to a fair together!"

"W-well, yeah, but… but at fairs they don't ask you questions or look straight at you! You just blend in with the crowd!" Matthew fought back, taking a step back from Gilbert, his arms still crossed.

"Well, at a restaurant, they're just going to take your order. It's not like they're going to start smacking you with the menu." Gilbert tried reasoning, but it didn't get through to him.

"No! I'm not going, Gilbert! If you want to go, you can go by yourself, but I'm _not_ going!" Matthew said, unfolding his arms and stomping his foot. This was the angriest Gilbert's ever seen the man, and definitely the loudest, even though his voice was still very soft.

"Matthew, come on! Please? Just one night!" Gilbert continued to plead, only angering the blond further. Matthew huffed and turned the other way, marching down the sidewalk in anger. Gilbert frowned and chased after him, reaching out and grabbing his arm.

"Okay! Okay, okay, we'll skip dinner!" Gilbert quickly caved, spinning the glaring blond around so they were looking at each other, "How about…. How about we just… walk? Like, around the park? And after that, we could get some hotdogs or eat at my place again. Awesome, right?"

Matthew's brows relaxed and he stopped glaring. He let out a soft sigh and nodded, slowly at first, but gaining confidence along with a smile.

"Yeah… Yeah that sounds awesome." He agreed with a smile, taking Gilbert's hand again and walking with him towards the park. Gilbert sighed in relief and walked beside Matthew, squeezing his hand tightly.

"Hey, I'm sorry for trying to get you to go to a restaurant. I didn't think it would freak you out. It definitely wasn't awesome." Gilbert muttered, making Matthew smile more and shake his head.

"No, it's not your fault. You were just trying to be sweet." He said kindly, bumping their shoulders together in an endearing manner. Gilbert smiled softly, then nodded and continued walking.

They reached the park in silence and walked around for a while. They barely spoke to each other, but somehow, that just made the night seem better to the two of them. At one point, they sat under a tree, Matthew resting his head on Gilbert's lap as the sun went down. When the sky was a dark blue and the stars were just poking out, Gilbert looked down at Matthew and smiled, getting a soft smile in return.

"Hungry?" He asked, brushing blond hair from his face. Matthew nodded quietly, then got up and helped Gilbert up.

"Your house?" Matthew asked next, getting a nod from the German. They both walked hand in hand towards Gilbert's home, still very silent as they went. When they arrived, Matthew snuck upstairs and into Gilbert's room as Gilbert prepared a quick dinner for the two. Ludwig and Feliciano were in Ludwig's room, laughing and talking noisily.

When dinner was ready, the albino brought it upstairs and closed the door behind him, locking it as he balanced the two plates on his arm skillfully. Matthew was sitting on the bed, smiling when he saw the food.

"That smells good." Matthew noted, getting a smile from the albino as he placed the two plates on the bed. Gilbert didn't have a television in his room, but he turned on the radio so they had something to listen to. He originally had it on hard rock, and when the guitars and drums begun blaring, he reddened and switched it to something more mellow.

"Hey, what type of awesome music do you like?" Gilbert asked as he surfed stations, going from classical to pop to rap to rock.

"Oh, oh, leave it here!" Matthew said just as the music hit classical piano. Gilbert quirked a brow at his date, getting a cheesy smile in return.

"I like piano." Matthew said, taking one of the plates and biting into one of the sausages, "You can change it if you want to, I'm usually not picky."

Gilbert thought about it, looking from Matthew to the radio, but he left it where it was and sat with Matthew on the bed, plopping down right next to him and making him jump a little from the bed. Gilbert picked up his plate and began eating, disregarding the fork and biting into his sausage.

"So, you live in that apartment complex just across from the newsstand, right?" Gilbert asked as he munched on his food. Matthew nodded, swallowing before speaking.

"Yeah, why?" He asked, lifting a brow at his date.

"I was just wondering. Do you think I could come over at some point?" Gilbert asked, lying back on his bed so he was propped up against the headboard and some pillows. Matthew smiled and cuddled up right next to the albino, putting his plate on the other side of Gilbert so he could hug him and eat at the same time.

"Hmmm…" Matthew hummed out, thinking about if he should let him visit or not. He rested his head on Gilbert's shoulder, allowing the platinum blond to curl an arm around the blonde's hip, pulling him closer.

"I don't think so." Matthew finally answered, getting a troubled groan from Gilbert.

"What? Why? I'm awesome, aren't I?" He complained, squeezing his arm tighter around the boy and making him giggle.

"You're awesome, yes, but my apartment isn't!" Matthew said, taking his last sausage and biting it, putting the remains back on the plate, then straddling Gilbert and swallowing.

"Anyway, why would we want to go there when we've got here?" Matthew questioned, leaning down so their chests were pressed against each other's.

"Uh, I dunno, privacy maybe?" Gilbert snorted, rolling his eyes. Matthew's brows rose slowly, and so did the corners of his lips.

"Oh? Privacy for _what_, buddy?" Matthew teased, letting his face come closer to the smirking albino.

"You know, talking, making-out, sex, all that fun stuff." Gilbert snorted as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Matthew turned bright red, then sat up quickly, putting his hands on Gilbert's chest.

"Whoa, tiger, who ever said I was sleeping with you, eh?" Matthew said coldly, narrowing his eyes on the now pouting albino.

"Really? You don't want to tap this?" Gilbert scoffed in disbelief, motioning to himself and raising a brow, "I'm sexy! I'm awesome! Who _wouldn't_ want to tap this?"

"You're not sexy!" Matthew laughed, resuming his chest-to-chest position on Gilbert and pinching his cheek, "You're cute. You're adorable."

"I am too sexy!" Gilbert pouted, puffing out his cheeks when they were pinched. Then he smiled at Matthew and put his hands on the back of his head, pulling him in close for a kiss, which the blond happily accepted. They kissed slowly and with ardor, Matthew's hands slowly coming up from between their chests to around Gilbert's neck as their tongue mingled. A sigh passed through the blonde's lips, and Gilbert moved his hands to Matthew's sides, moving him slowly and never breaking contact as he rolled them over, pressing Matthew against the sheets.

They broke the kiss, Matthew opening his eyes halfway to watch as Gilbert lowered himself, nipping and licking at a few choice spots on the Canadian's neck, making him shiver and gasp in delight. German fingers, calloused from the cold and misuse, ventured up Matthew's _Mother Mother_ t-shirt, tracing swirls and circles along his thin abdomen. Matthew surrendered another gasp, tilting his head to the side to give Gilbert more space to claim his own. The albino eagerly attacked, the _Mother Mother_ shirt bunched around Matthew's armpits now. He pulled away from Matthew's tender throat and moved to his now exposed chest, kissing in the middle, just below his collarbone. He trailed his lips down, his breath tickling the lightly tanned skin and coaxing a few goose bumps to rise. Matthew's hands went along for the ride, tangling the fingers in the silvery-white hair and Gilbert moved south, and soon his teeth met with Matthew's pants.

A tongue lazily and teasingly poked just along the hem of Matthew's jeans, dragging a light moan from the victim's throat. A name was whispered, and Gilbert smiled smugly. Dexterous fingers picked apart the metal button and tugged down the YKK brand zipper, exposing an isosceles triangle of moose-printed brown boxers. Gilbert chuckled softly, his breath tickling Matthew's tummy and making him burn up.

"Gilbert…" Matthew breathed out, bringing the albino back to what was happily yet messily strewn out before him, and he returned to ravishing the boy's body. His lips sucked and nipped at Matthew's pelvis, his fingers hooking in two of the belt loops sewn into his Levi's and pulling them down slowly, flaunting the strange but somewhat seductive boxers inch by inch. When they were down to his thighs, Matthew sat up on his elbows, looking down at the albino.

"Gilbert, wait." He said softly, getting the man's attention immediately. His head hovered just above Matthew's half-hard dick, and his breath made the blond hairs trailing down from his belly-button shiver. Matthew gave the albino a nervous look, and Gilbert understood immediately.

"The awesome me won't hurt you." Gilbert whispered reassuringly, moving back up and kissing Matthew gently, "I won't even penetrate you. We'll just touch each other, okay?"

"Okay…" Matthew spoke softly, nodding his head slowly. He still looked doubtful, but he trusted the German with this. They shared another kiss, and Gilbert unfastened the belt on his own pants, sliding it off and letting it fall to the bed beside them, tugging his own black skinnies down his hips. He wore black boxers with yellow birds printed on the crotch, and he was relieved Matthew didn't look.

Gilbert's palm met with Matthew's groin, rubbing him to readiness and earning a few rewarding gasps and moans. He tugged his boxers down, letting Matthew's hard-on stand at attention, looking almost as shy as the owner. Matthew's hands went down to cover himself, but Gilbert stopped him with another kiss, gripping his wrists and tugging them aside before he freed his own throbbing flesh.

He gripped the both of them in one hand, getting a surprised gasp from the blond as they kissed. Gilbert opened his eyes to see the surprised and nervous but excited expression on the blonde's face. Gilbert slowly stroked them together, pressing them together with his thumb and forefinger, the other three just grazing along the back of Matthew's dick. Matthew sighed softly and lowered his back against the bed again, closing his eyes as he let the feeling sink into him. Gilbert kissed Matthew's chin, his lips skirting along his jaw line as he moved his hand just a little faster.

They were both breathing heavily, and Matthew let his eyes open to see Gilbert looking down at him with a gaze that sent lightning up his spine. His hips suddenly bucked and he let out a shivering sigh, clutching the sheets beneath him. He gave up the sheets for Gilbert's shoulders, though, gripping them and hiding his face in the nape of the albino's neck. Gilbert allowed him to hide, and he kissed his ear softly, panting against the lobe.

The caressing became faster and a little rougher, but both parties profited from this change. Matthew still hid his face, panting into the crook of his arm and shivered each time he felt Gilbert's breath upon his neck. His shirt was still bunched up, and Gilbert's other hand snuck back to the blonde's chest, pressing down on the hardened pink nub and rubbing it in circles. Matthew arched subconsciously against Gilbert's hand and he tilted his head and kissed the albino's neck. His breath was becoming more ragged and Gilbert grunted lightly when he felt teeth scrape against a vein. He sped up it hand, gripping it with every finger.

Matthew was sucking on Gilbert's neck, moaning lightly from the stimulation he was given. Gilbert groaned lightly and pinched Matthew's nipple, rubbing his thumb against both his and Matthew's tip, making the boy beneath him shiver and sigh. Matthew pulled away from his hiding spot, gripping Gilbert's hair and kissing him passionately, their tongues sliding and rubbing against the other's in a lusty need. Matthew moaned again, his hips bucking against Gilbert's dick and his hand. Gilbert grunted at the movement and tightened his grip, pumping them just a few more times until Matthew dropped his head back and whimpered out Gilbert's name repeatedly, releasing himself on Gilbert's shirt. Gilbert grunted and loosened his grip, letting Matthew free and pumping himself to reach completion, finishing off on Matthew's hips.

They were both panting lightly and Matthew looked up at Gilbert, leaning up and giving him a light kiss before he pulled away completely, getting off the bed and pulling off his shirt, using it to wipe himself off, then handing it to Gilbert. Matthew fixed himself, then looked over at Gilbert who was currently zipping up his pants, a small smile on his lips. Matthew blushed and knelt on the bed, getting Gilbert's attention when the bed creaked. Matthew leaned forward on his hands and kissed the albino, feeling him smile wider against his lips. When they parted, Matthew laid on the bed and tugged Gilbert down with him, resting his head on Gilbert's chest and sighing.

"That was, for the lack of better words, _awesome_." Matthew whispered, tracing blind patterns along Gilbert's t-shirt as he relaxed. Gilbert laughed softly and held Matthew close, kissing his hair and nodding. They fell asleep afterwards, their legs intertwined along with their fingers.

* * *

><p>An alarm clock buzzed noisily, waking Ludwig and Feliciano who were sleeping on the German's bed. Feliciano whined as Ludwig sat up, and the Italian gripped his boyfriend's shirt to try and tug him back down.<p>

"It's too early…" He complained, but Ludwig got up anyway, silencing the alarm clock and taking off his shirt.

"I'll be back in a minute." Ludwig said softly, stepping out of the room and quietly walking down the hall. He didn't hear Gilbert screaming in the middle of the night, and he didn't hear Matthew leave, so he assumed they were both asleep in Gilbert's room. When he pushed open the door, he saw his brother laying in the middle of his bed, one arm tossed out to the side of his and the other on his chest. Ludwig frowned more and stepped in, wondering where Matthew had gone. He noticed a note of the nightstand and he picked it up, looking over the messily written letter.

"Gilbert, I woke up before you and left. I needed to get home. Don't be mad. I'll see you at your newsstand today. –Matthew"

Ludwig sighed. This kid must really have issues with strangers if he leaves before five in the morning. Ludwig shook his head slowly, then examined the note further, his brows furrowing together as he thought. He put the note down slowly, then looked at his peaceful looking brother. He looked so happy when he slept quietly, and Ludwig briefly wished he could stay that way forever.

Just then, Gilbert's body jerked in his sleep, his smile turning into a frown and a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Ludwig clicked his tongue, then went to the doorway and called out to Feliciano, "Stay in my bedroom, Feli!"

"Ve? Why?" Feliciano called back, poking his head out of the doorway to see Ludwig closing the door, "Ludwig?"

"Just stay in there!" He yelled through the door, going over to his twitching brother and kneeling beside him, gripping his head with both hands to keep it from rolling back and forth. Gilbert began kicking his feet and he gripped Ludwig's wrists, squeezing them tightly as he whimpered and moaned.

"Brother, calm down, you're in your bed at home and you're safe." Ludwig whispered, rubbing his thumbs against fair skin, seeing a few stray tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. Gilbert's back arched as if he were in pain and he gasped weakly, nails digging into Ludwig's wrists. Ludwig hissed in pain and drew a hand back, flicking his wrist to shoo away the pain. He drew back his arm, then, and delivered a rough slap to Gilbert's cheek, silencing the whimpers and stopping the convulsions.

Gilbert's eyes opened slowly, and the first thing he looked at was Ludwig. He looked scared but relieved, and he let go of his little brother's wrists and pulled him into a hug. Before Ludwig could hug back, however, Gilbert pulled away and looked around, noticing the note and frowning. He crawled to it on shaky arms and read over it, then sighed and collapsed on the bed, the note fluttering to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Ludwig asked nervously, getting a whine from the albino. Ludwig bit down on his lip, then cleared his throat and inched off the bed, getting ready to run.

"Brother…" He called out, getting his attention in a weak glare, "I booked an appointment."

Red eyes widened, and soon they both were sprinting down the hall. Ludwig turned to the stairs, practically hopping down most of them as he was pursued by his elder. He looped around the kitchen table, Gilbert close behind him. Gilbert reached out an arm to snatch the back of Ludwig's shirt, but he missed, and soon they were running down the street, Gilbert yelling at his brother to stop running. Just before the end of the street, Gilbert tackled Ludwig with his forearms, knocking him down against the pavement and rolling him onto his back. He straddled the teen and grabbed his shirt, jerking him up.

"Why would you do that? That isn't awesome, West! I don't need a doctor!" He yelled, shaking the poor blond roughly. He threw Ludwig against the ground, then punched him in the jaw, getting a grunt of pain from him, "We don't have the money, West! Idiot! Unawesome! So unawesome!"

Gilbert drew back his arm once more to punch his brother, but stopped and whimpered. He dropped his fist and pulled Ludwig back up, hugging him tightly again, "I'm fine, West… I promise I'm okay. I have a therapist, and it's free, so I'll be fine."

"Brother, you're not okay." Ludwig whispered, hugging back and rubbing his chin where he was punched, "Just once. Just one appointment. They're just going to ask you questions, okay? I know you need it."

Gilbert shook his head quickly, still clinging to his little brother tightly. Ludwig sighed and patted Gilbert's back, then slowly stood up, dragging Gilbert with him.

"Let's go inside and talk about this, okay?" Ludwig suggested, leading the quiet albino towards their home. When they entered, Ludwig saw Feliciano in the kitchen, making breakfast for the three of them. Ludwig wanted to scold him for leaving the room, but he had to take care of Gilbert first. They sat at the dining table across from each other, and Gilbert rested his head on his arms, looking pretty tired.

"You know I don't like doctors, West… They're useless and they steal your money to tell you what you already know! They're just going to give me pills that do nothing!" Gilbert complained, wincing when he saw the bruise quickly forming on Ludwig's jaw.

"The last time they thought you were lying." Ludwig said flatly, "They gave you placebos. This time, though, I'll make sure they know you're not lying."

"But West-"

"No buts. If I have to, I'll tie you up and drag you to the doctors." Ludwig said firmly, and Gilbert thought how much like Dad he sounded right then. He stared at Ludwig, dumbfounded and with admiration, and he slowly nodded.

"Okay… When is it?" He asked softly, not taking his eyes off the stern blue irises that resembled Dad so much at the time.

"Today at three." Ludwig answered, looking away from his brother's prying eyes, "I figure it will be better to go and get it over with."

"Alright." Gilbert muttered, letting his eyes drop and he sat up straight. Feliciano soon came out of the kitchen and placed two plates of eggs, ham, and bacon on the table for the two Germans, then he set one down for himself, sitting beside Ludwig.

"Hello, Gilbert." Feliciano greeted at last, biting into his eggs happily. Gilbert looked at the brunette and smiled, taking a bite out of his bacon. They ate silently after that, not looking at one another and not caring to. Ludwig and Gilbert just stared down at their plate and Feliciano looked around the house silently, eating still and humming to himself. When breakfast was done, Feliciano cleaned up, then kissed Ludwig on the cheek, not noticing the bruise on the other side.

"Ve, I'll be going now." He said, getting a nod from his boyfriend. When Feliciano left, Ludwig and Gilbert looked at each other blankly. Then, Gilbert smirked, his brows arching upwards when he realized how calm and collected his little brother seemed.

"Du _hund!_ Du fickte ihn!" Gilbert cried, getting an embarrassed blush from the blond across the table.

"I- I did not!" Ludwig yelled back, slamming a fist on the table to emphasize his point, but Gilbert continued chanting it out in both German and English.

"Du fickte ihn! Du fickte ihn! You really, really fucked him!" He sang out, getting up from his seat and laughing his way up the stairs, "That's my little brother! Awesome!"

"Gilbert!" Ludwig scolded, wishing his brother would just shut up. Gilbert continued laughing, though, and he could hear him through the floorboards. Ludwig groaned and covered his ears, his face a bright pink from the taunting. He would get his revenge one way or another.

* * *

><p>Gilbert sighed as he sunk lower on the paper-lined bed that the doctor made him sit on. He was laying down on it currently, and Ludwig sat beside him in one of the chairs. The doctor had left a few minutes ago, but it already felt like hours to both of them.<p>

"I don't wanna be here." Gilbert complained, getting a scoff from his brother.

"I don't either but it's for your well-being. Sit up straight." Ludwig scolded, whacking his brother's leg. Gilbert groaned and sat up, sticking his tongue out at his brother.

"Fine, _mother_." He growled, looking away and reading a pamphlet on the doctor's desk about paranoia and OCD, "Hey, West, I found your mental illness! OCD, Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Look, it even says right here, 'Most patients with OCD are named Ludwig and are stuck up German fourteen-year-olds with no life!' Awesome!"

"Shut up." Ludwig chuckled, kicking his brother's leg again, "I bet there's a section in there that says the main cause is his stupid older brother who says awesome too much."

Gilbert laughed and put the pamphlet back, then bent towards the blond and pinched his cheek, "You know you like it, West!"

Just then, the doctor came in with a clipboard and a frown. He sat at his chair behind his computer and typed in some information, asking the basic questions like Gilbert's age, the last time he's visited, and any ailments he's had recently. Gilbert answered them all honestly, sounding bored and looking the same.

"Why 're we visitin' t'day?" The doctor asked, fixing his glasses and looking down at the clipboard.

"Because my crazy OCD brother dragged me here against my will. He aimed a gun at me, doctor. I fear for my life." Gilbert replied flatly, getting a blank stare from the man and a glare from Ludwig.

"I brought him here because his PTSD isn't getting better. In fact, I think it might be getting worse." Ludwig answered for Gilbert, looking at the doctor and briefly wondering if the man was old enough to be a doctor. He looked too young…

"PTSD? When w's he diagnosed?" The man asked, looking over Gilbert who glared in return, then typing more into his computer.

"A while ago. He was seven." Ludwig said when he realized his brother wouldn't be doing the talking, "Our previous doctor didn't believe he needed medicine, though, which is why I brought him here."

"I see…. 'lright, 'm going t' give 'im a test t' see 'f it's really bad." The doctor sighed, getting up and going through some files, then pulling out a paper. He sat back down, then read over the sheet a few times and looked at Gilbert.

"Answer honestly." He requested, looking Gilbert in the eyes and not breaking contact, "What w's th' event th't w's traumatic f'r you?"

"A fire. The whole apartment complex. I wasn't rescued until it was almost too late." Gilbert answered with a shrug, keeping his eyes on the doctor's, almost challenging him.

"D'you have bad dreams 'bout th' event?" He asked next, not looking down at the paper and examining Gilbert's expressions.

"Yep. Every night." Gilbert sighed, staring the man down. Ludwig frowned at the tension, but he said nothing.

"D'you have flashbacks th't 're triggered by sights 'r sounds?"

"Uh-huh."

"Describe th' flashbacks."

"Huh?" Gilbert's eyes widened slightly at the request, and he broke eye contact and looked down, "Um… Well, I usually just find myself in the middle of the fire. In the apartment I was trapped in…"

"D'you have trouble sleepin'?"

"Well, yeah, with the nightmares…"

"D'you have sudden outbursts 'f anger?"

"Of course, but doesn't everyone?"

"'Re you 'lways worried 'r feelin' guilty 'r sad?"

"W-well, I mean, my Dad just died, so I would imagine-"

"D'you go out often?"

"Yeah, I have a job in the newsstand."

"D'you have stomach aches 'r headaches?"

"Sometimes…"

The doctor leaned back in his chair, then put the paper down and began typing in the computer again.

"'M prescribing s'me SSRI's 'nd sedatives. Take th' sedatives b'fore sleepin' 'nd you won't have bad dreams. Take th' SSRI's ev'ry mornin'." He mumbled, writing down the prescription and handing it to Ludwig. Gilbert groaned and crossed his arms, jutting out his lower lip.

"What if they don't work?" Gilbert asked with a glare, and the doctor looked at Gilbert with a blank stare.

"If they don't work, th'n you'll have t' come back s' I can figure out what else 's wrong with you." He answered honestly, then stood and opened the door for the two. Gilbert quickly exited, telling Ludwig he'll be in the car waiting. Ludwig frowned and stayed back, looking up at the tall and young doctor with a frown.

"I have some more questions, if you don't mind." Ludwig mumbled, and the doctor shook his head and sat back down, gesturing to the chair Ludwig was previously sitting in.

"'re they 'bout your brother 'r you?" The doctor asked first, leaning his elbows on the desk and looking at Ludwig with the same blank face.

"My brother. You see, I've noticed he's been a little more distant lately…" Ludwig began, moving to the edge of his seat so they could talk quietly, in case his brother came back, "I've noticed he's been going out by himself, lately. He claims to be meeting up with someone, but I've never seen him… He also talks to a stranger on the phone who I can't seem to locate. Plus, sometimes when he talks, he barely makes any sense."

The doctor's brows rose very slightly at this news, and he quickly typed it into his computer, his brows furrowing.

"Have you been diagnosed with OCD 'r any 'ther mental illnesses?" He asked, making Ludwig pale and frown.

"No, I haven't. But I don't think I'm crazy! I think his PTSD got worse!" Ludwig quickly said, giving a determined look.

"Me too." The doctor replied, looking back at Ludwig and frowning, "Has he… mentioned seein' or hearin' things that weren't there?"

"I don't know… He's always been like that…" Ludwig muttered, thinking back to past experiences when Gilbert would start laughing randomly in public, claiming he saw or heard something funny.

"Does he talk t' himself?" The doctor asked next, digging through some files and pulling out another paper.

"Yeah, sometimes he mutters to himself."

"'Nd you said he was talkin' t' someone on th' phone. You never talked t' this person?"

"No. I tried to call the man, but I couldn't reach him. It always said the phone was… Was…"

The doctor looked grim and he wrote down a new prescription, handing it to Ludwig, "It's best 'f you tell him 's soon 's possible."

"Okay… thanks…" He mumbled, taking the prescription and standing, "Thank you, doctor…"

Ludwig went to the front desk next, asking the male nurse there for the medication. The blond nodded and dug through the cabinets, pulling out the medicine and putting them on the table.

"That'll be…" He muttered out the co-pay, then looked up at the frowning teenager. Ludwig fumbled through his wallet, pulling out only half of the cost. The blond looked down at the money, a troubled expression on his face. They were silent for some time, and the blond sighed and took the money, then bagged the medicine.

"Tell anyone and I'll shoot you." He threatened, handing the bag over to the surprised German. He thanked the man, then took the medicine and exited. When he reached the car, he saw Gilbert staring out the window with a smile on his face. Ludwig sighed softly, thinking about how horrified and angry he'll look when he told his brother the truth.

* * *

><p>Hahaha okay now don't be mad because I lied about Gilbert being crazy, because I promise it get's better! Plus, you don't know <em>who<em> is his imagination and _who_ is reality yet, so stick around for a few more chapters to find out :D


	7. In The Streets

I don't really like this chapter because it seems so boring :P But oh well. Also, why do I only get two reviews per chapter? That's really sad, man D: I mean, is PruCan not popular? I thought it was pretty liked, but oh well. I'm enjoying this story anyway. I think there's only two more chapters to do, though, until it's done. So, enjoy it while you can.

* * *

><p>"Gilbert, we need to talk." Ludwig said as he sat down in front of his brother and Antonio at the dining table. The two had just eaten dinner, and Antonio frowned at the sudden serious air.<p>

"Should I go home?" Antonio asks, and Gilbert snorted and shook his head.

"You're sleeping over, Tony." Gilbert said, kicking Antonio's chair lazily and getting a smile from the Spaniard. Ludwig frowned and rubbed his chin.

"Are you sure you want him to hear this?" Ludwig asked, then tapped his temple. Gilbert understood, then sighed and shrugged.

"He's my best friend, West. I'm sure he'll keep it to himself." Gilbert said, almost threateningly as he looked over at Antonio. Gilbert thought Ludwig was talking only about PTSD, and definitely wasn't prepared when Ludwig put a paper in front of his brother and said, "Gilbert, you have schizophrenia."

The albino blinked, staring at his brother quietly, then he looked down at the paper and read over it. It had the symptoms and definition of schizophrenia, and the more Gilbert read it, the more upset he felt. He forced a laugh and pushed the paper away.

"Okay, West, stop joking around. What's _really_ the matter?" Gilbert asked, giving a doubtful look to his stern-faced brother.

"I'm not joking." Ludwig said, and Antonio got up and went to the kitchen, pulling out as much beer as he could carry and placing it in front of Gilbert.

"You should probably start drinking, mi amigo." Antonio said. He wasn't aware of this news, but he knew Gilbert won't calm down unless he had some alcohol in him. Gilbert cracked open one of the beers and downed the contents, slamming the glass on the table and cracking open another one. He didn't drink it immediately, and he sat up straight in his chair.

"Ludwig, look, I know you're worried about me and stuff, but someone as awesome as me can't have schizophrenia!" Gilbert retorted, making Ludwig sighed and shake his head. The blond pulled out his cell phone and handed it to Gilbert.

"Call Francis." He demanded. Gilbert frowned and looked at the phone, feeling nervous and put on the spot. He took the phone regardless and dialed his therapist's number, holding it to his ear as it rang.

"Put it on speaker, brother." Ludwig said next, and Gilbert obeyed silently. He placed the phone on the table, and when it hit the fourth ring, Gilbert heard a click.

"Francis, hey, tell my brother and Antonio I'm not crazy." Gilbert said immediately, but he got no response from the Frenchman. Instead, an automated female voice rang out the error message, requesting them to hang up and try again. Gilbert's eyes widened and he picked up the phone, dialing Francis' number and holding it to his ear. The phone rang four times, and this time when it clicked, he heard the Frenchman.

"Oui, Gilbert?" Francis called out, and Gilbert smiled.

"S-see? He's there!" Gilbert called out, getting a confused noise from the Frenchman as he held the phone out. However, when he looked at the screen, he saw it had already been disconnected. His smile dropped, and he pressed the phone against his ear to hear a sigh.

"This is not the highlight of my existence." Francis said flatly, and Gilbert shook his head slowly.

"No…. no it's not…" He mumbled, turning it on speaker even though Gilbert was the only one who could hear him. Ludwig rubbed his thumbs together nervously, and Antonio took a beer for himself, sipping the contents as Gilbert talked to himself.

"But… if Francis is made up, then who sent Matthew?" Gilbert asked, getting no reply from his brother or Antonio. Francis, on the other hand, chuckled softly through the phone.

"Mon ami, I'm not made up! I am Francis! I'm real!" Francis claimed, and Gilbert scowled and shut the phone, then opened it again only to hear Francis calling out, "Don't close the phone on me!"

"Why me? This isn't awesome!" Gilbert yelled, grabbing the phone and throwing it. Ludwig gasped and was about to scold Gilbert for throwing his cell phone, but Antonio gave the younger a look that told him now was not the time. Gilbert grabbed another beer and practically inhaled the contents, his mind whirring from the overload of thoughts.

"But… but I don't tell them what to say! I don't plan what they say! They have to be real, Ludwig!" Gilbert demanded, slamming his third empty beer bottle down on the table and looking at his brother with determination, wishing the blond would start laughing and say it was just a joke.

He didn't smile, though. Instead, he bowed his head and sighed. Gilbert shook his head more, then stood from his seat and started pacing around the table, running his fingers through his hair in a panic.

"Gil, calmate." Antonio called out, watching nervously as his friend walked aimlessly, "Maybe we should go for a walk? It will help you clear your mind."

"I don't want to go anywhere!" Gilbert yelled, putting his hands to his forehead and rubbing them, then sitting on the couch. Ludwig sighed and went to the couch, sitting beside his brother. Antonio grabbed another bottle of beer and popped it open, sitting on Gilbert's other side and handing it to him. Gilbert took the drink and began drinking, still rubbing his brow with his other hand.

"Maybe it'll be better for you to determine who's real and who isn't." Ludwig suggested, "We could start with Matthew. He can't be real, right?"

"Why can't he be real? He's too awesome to be fake!" Gilbert scoffed, "And Antonio and the twins saw him!"

"That's true, we saw someone, but we can't say if it was Matthew or not." Antonio said with a shrug, "Why don't we go find out? We can go together."

Gilbert frowned and looked at the two, swirling his beer around in a nervous manner.

"I'm not crazy." Gilbert muttered, looking back at his beer and staring at it. Ludwig frowned and patted his brother's back, and Antonio shook his head.

"We know you're not crazy." Ludwig said soothingly, "And now we have to prove it."

"I don't want to go." Gilbert grumbled next, slouching over his knees and sipping more beer. He didn't want Matthew to be fake. He wanted Matthew to be real, so he could say he really kissed him and really touched him. Antonio let out a soft sigh and got up, taking Gilbert's beer and getting a whine from the boy.

"No more beer until you confront your problems!" Antonio declared, going over to the other bottles and putting it in a bag, "Come on, I'll go with you."

"Tony, really I don't want to go." Gilbert whined, but he let himself be tugged to his feet and towards the door.

"I'll have him back before dinner, amigo." Antonio called out to Ludwig, who sighed and laid on the couch. Antonio and Gilbert exited the house and began walking down the sidewalk. Antonio had to cling to Gilbert's arm to keep him from turning back, and the closer they got to the newsstand, the more nervous and fidgety Gilbert became.

"I really don't want to find out!" Gilbert complained, tugging against Antonio's grip to try and run away, but the Spaniard was much stronger than previously anticipated.

"I know you don't, Gilbert, but if you don't figure it out, you'll never get better." Gilbert said, and soon they reached the newsstand.

"So, where does Matthew live?" Antonio asked, looking around to not find a single stranger walking around. Gilbert sighed and rubbed his forehead, then pointed at the apartment complex. They started walking over, and Antonio gave up another bottle of beer for Gilbert to chug.

When they reached the glass doors, they found a ringer box near the entrance. Antonio hummed, running his finger down the list of names as he mumbled them aloud.

"Ah! Matthew Bonnefoy! This must be him!" Antonio said, somewhat surprised. Gilbert's eyes brightened and he looked to find the very name printed on the plaque.

"See? I told you he was real! Awesome!" He cried, pumping a fist in the air, "Ring him! Ring him!"

"Okay, okay, un momento!" Antonio scoffed, pressing the off-white button beside Matthew's name, making the button glow. A buzzing noise was heard, and only after a few seconds did a second buzzing noise come.

"Um… hello?" The soft voice practically whispered, and Antonio frowned and moved closer to the mic.

"Hola, Matthew. I have a friend down here and he'd really like to see you." Antonio called out and Gilbert scoffed.

"Don't say it like that! Uh, Matthew, can you come down for a minute? I swear it's just one person. He's not going to bite." Gilbert coaxed, but they didn't get an immediate response. After a few seconds of silence, Gilbert frowned and called out, "Matthew, you there?"

"Uh… well… who is this?" Matthew asked, and Antonio frowned and stood up straight.

"Gilbert, I don't think he knows you." Antonio muttered, and Gilbert's brows bunched together and he shook his head.

"Matthew, come on, you know me. It's Gilbert. Come on, stop joking." Gilbert laughed out, but he was getting even more nervous.

"I don't think I know someone named Gilbert, I'm sorry. Do you… Are you sure you have the right apartment complex?" Matthew asked politely, and Gilbert stood up straight and scowled.

"Can you come down here for a minute?" Gilbert asked, hoping that the call box was just distorting his voice or that Matthew was just joking.

"I'd much rather not…" Matthew said timidly, "I would like it if you went on your way. I hope you find whoever you're looking for…"

And the communication cut. Gilbert's brows shot up, and he just stared at the call box, trying to figure out what just happened. Antonio frowned and patted Gilbert's shoulder, nudging the beer bottle in the albino's hand to urge him to drink.

"Let's sit at the newsstand for a while, si?" Antonio suggested, but Gilbert shook his head. He needed to know who else he made up, and he needed to know now.

"Fire station." Gilbert said immediately, grabbing Antonio's arm and dragging him towards the place where Alfred worked.

"W-what? Are you sure? Aren't you deathly afraid of fires and stuff?" Antonio yelped, walking alongside Gilbert and hoping he didn't have a panic attack with only Antonio around.

"I'll live." Gilbert grumbled, finishing his beer and wiping his mouth. He tossed the bottle away and took another one from Antonio, and soon they reached their destination.

Gilbert walked in through the garage as if it were nothing, ignoring the calls and shouts from various firemen around. He had to find Alfred. He had to make sure he wasn't made up too. The more he looked around, however, the less he saw Alfred. When he was sure he looked over every fireman twice, he swallowed drily and shook his head.

"Dammit, no…" He whimpered, beginning to shake and question if there were even more people he made up. If Alfred was made up, then that must mean that Arthur was made up! But everyone else saw Arthur, so does that mean that all of his friends and Ludwig were made up to? If so, was his dad made up? And all of his family members?

Before he started slipping deeper into thought, however, he heard a loud, obnoxious shout.

"Gilbert! Hey, dude, you came!" The voice cried, making Gilbert jump and spin around, seeing Alfred slide down the pole and walk over to him. He was wearing his yellow pants and a black muscle-shirt like before, and Antonio saw him too.

"You know a fireman?" Antonio asked, his brows rising in surprise, "You get around, Gil."

"I'm surprised too." Gilbert admitted, his racing heart calming down. When Alfred reached the two, Gilbert forced a smile and shrugged.

"Hey, Alfred. I just thought I'd swing by and see what's what." Gilbert said naturally, getting a big grin from the fireman.

"Oh hey, that's cool. I was thinking you weren't going to show up, but I'm glad you did, dude! Arthur wants to see you again, by the way, you should probably swing by the police station." Alfred suggested, taking his hardhat off the wall and putting it on.

"Well, I swung by at least. I'll visit more often, this place looks awesome." Gilbert promised, returning Alfred's big smile. Alfred chuckled and nodded.

"Alright!" He said, then he walked off to talk to the other firemen. Gilbert sighed lightly, then grabbed Antonio's wrist.

"Police station." He said, tugging his Spanish friend along. Antonio just walked with him, his hands in his pockets and a frown on his face.

"I don't think we need to check Arthur. We all met him." Antonio said with a shrug, and Gilbert scoffed.

"Might as well before we find out that I'm not the only one with schizophrenia." Gilbert grumbled, trying to make what may be a condition he has a joke, "And when we're done with Arthur, we're going back to Matthew."

Antonio frowned and stopped walking, taking his hands out of his pockets and grabbing Gilbert's wrist, "Gil, you made Matthew up."

"No I didn't. Matthew is real. He lives in that apartment. He's just shy. Really shy." Gilbert said, standing by the man he almost slept with the other night.

"Gilbert, I think you just have to accept it and move on." Antonio tried, but Gilbert snapped his hand back and glared at the Spaniard.

"What if he's made up? I still like him, and he likes me!" Gilbert yelled, walking ahead. Antonio briefly wondered if that could be considered narcissism, but he knew this wasn't the time for it.

"Gil, wait, come on, be rational!" Antonio called out, running to catch up with his best friend.

"Shut up! What if Lovino wasn't real, hmm? Would you just ignore him and leave him alone?" Gilbert growled, throwing a hand towards Antonio to hit him, but he missed the Spaniard's face.

"But Lovino is real!" Antonio sighed, wishing he could just he through to the albino.

"Then so is Matthew!" Gilbert fought back, marching towards the police station with a look of determination. Antonio just trailed behind the enraged German, deciding he needed a few beers himself and began drinking. When they reached the police station, Gilbert shoved his way through the doors, demanding to see Arthur. The woman at the front desk gave the albino and the Spaniard an annoyed look, then called for Arthur through the walkies they had.

Soon enough, Arthur showed up, and he gave a surprised and pleased look.

"Gilbert! There you are, mate, I just got off the phone with Alfred. Is everything alright? You look a little winded, lad." Arthur said, leading the two from the front to his office. Gilbert and Antonio sat, and Arthur gave them a curious look, "On a quest, boys?"

"We're trying to figure out who I made up and who I didn't. Can you do me a favour?" Gilbert said quickly, getting a confused and slightly worried look from the Brit.

"Uh, sure, what is it?" Arthur said, getting a notepad and a pencil.

"Can you find someone for me? He's French and his name is Francis Bonnefoy. He may or may not have been or still is in prison, but I really need to find him." Gilbert said, looking over at the notepad to see Arthur writing down the name, but he stopped at 'Bonnefoy'.

"Uh… actually… I think I might know him." Arthur mumbled, frowning. Gilbert's eyes lit up, and Antonio gave a curious look. "He was taken to prison for tax fraud, and was killed in a riot two years ago. It was all over the news, he was a rather popular frog –er… gentleman."

"He's dead?" Gilbert gaped, his eyes widening and his mouth dropping. Antonio cringed and leaned back in his chair, drinking more beer and shaking his head.

"Hey, maybe you can call the dead through your phone." Antonio muttered, getting a dangerous glare from the albino.

"Well, maybe we're talking about a different Francis! Can you just search for him? Please?" Gilbert begged, hoping to god Francis was real and still kicking. Arthur sighed and tapped his pencil against the notepad, looking at Gilbert with worry.

"Look, lad, if you're hearing or seeing people that aren't there, you should go see a doctor." Arthur suggested, and Gilbert glared at the Brit.

"I'm not crazy! They're real! Really real!" Gilbert yelled, getting up and whimpering, "Antonio, come on."

"Ay, alright." Antonio sighed, getting off his seat and leaving behind the confused Brit.

"Wait, Gilbert!" Arthur called out after them, getting up from his desk and catching up to the two men just before they exited the station, "I wanted to ask you something!"

"Alright, what do you want from the awesome me." Gilbert grumbled sarcastically, not wanting to talk to Arthur anymore.

"I was wondering –well, Alfred and I were wondering- If you wanted to go drinking sometime this week. You can bring whoever." Arthur said, and Gilbert's brows rose in surprise.

"Oh, wow, okay. Sure. Oh, hey, what's your phone number? I'll call you later and we'll set a date." Gilbert answered, easily distracted from what he was supposed to be focusing on. He never said no to a little alcohol.

Arthur took out a pen and scribbled his and Alfred's phone number on Gilbert's wrist, then smiled and saw them out of the station. Antonio and Gilbert walked down the sidewalk, Gilbert looking at the phone number and Antonio finishing off his beer.

"Hey, Antonio, do you want to go drinking with us?" Gilbert asked, and Antonio smiled and nodded.

"Si, order the tequilas and body shots for me, hombre." The Spaniard said with a wink, and they both laughed. Gilbert took another beer, and when they reached the newsstand, Gilbert remembered what they were originally doing. They were in front of the newsstand, and they waited by the building, looking around quietly. Gilbert was mostly staring at the apartment complex, and soon he saw the doors push open. Gilbert's eyes widened and he swatted his hand against Antonio's arm to get his attention.

Out walked Matthew, blond hair shimmering in the sunset. He wore that brown jumper again, and he had the messenger back over one shoulder. Matthew and Gilbert made eye contact, and Matthew waved. Gilbert smiled and waved back.

"See? I told you!" Gilbert yelled, ditching the confused looking Antonio for Matthew who waited patiently just across the street. Antonio's frown deepened and he followed after his friend, but instead, he went to the call box and scanned for Matthew's name again.

"Matthew! You remember me, right?" Gilbert asked nervously, a smile on his face as he greeted the blond boy. Matthew raised a brow and brushed his hair behind his left ear and laughed.

"Of course I remember you, Gilbert. Why wouldn't I?" Matthew answered happily, stepping forward and hugging the albino.

"Awesome! Hey, can you say hi to Antonio for me? Please?" Gilbert begged, hugging Matthew in return. Matthew's smile died and he looked over at Antonio, who was glancing between them and the call box.

"Uh… Do I have to? You know I don't like strangers…" Matthew whimpered, giving Gilbert his cute and weak look. Gilbert frowned in return and hugged Matthew tighter.

"Please? I just… I just want you to meet him, that's all. Just say hello." Gilbert instructed, smiling pleadingly.

"Hello?" A voice very similar to Matthew's called out through static, and Gilbert's smile dropped. His eyes widened and he stared down at Matthew, whose eyes were also wide.

"Hola, lo siento, it's me again. I just needed to borrow your voice." Antonio said into the mic as he watched Gilbert drop his arms from hugging the air in front of him.

"M-my voice? Please, stop joking around. If you do this again, I'll call the police." Matthew threatened, and Gilbert looked over at the call box and Antonio with hurt in his eyes.

"I won't bother you any more, I promise." Antonio replied, then went over to Gilbert and grabbed his arms, "Gilbert, mi amigo, please. The Matthew you knew isn't real."

"B-but… He's right here…" Gilbert stammered, looking back to his left to see the blond standing there with a confused look on his face. Matthew was glancing between Gilbert and Antonio nervously.

"No, Gilbert. There's no one there." Antonio said, waving his hand in the area Gilbert was staring at. To Antonio, he just waved his arm in the air. To Gilbert, Matthew flinched away and moved before Antonio could touch him. Gilbert shook his head and grabbed Matthew's wrist, making him gasp and begin tugging.

"Gilbert, Gilbert, please, no!" Matthew begged, squirming and tugging against the albino's grip, "I'm not ready! Please, I don't want to touch him! Please! Please, just let me go! Gilbert!"

"Stop! I just need to prove to him that you're real!" Gilbert ordered, but Matthew continued panicking. Antonio sighed and offered up his own wrist, letting Gilbert grab him and lead his arm forward. When Gilbert had their hands close enough to touch, he jerked them forward, and his eyes widened at the horrible truth that was shown. Matthew's hand reacted, bending back from feeling Antonio, but Antonio's remained limp. It didn't even move back from Matthew's hand.

Gilbert dropped their wrists, then stared wide-eyed at Matthew, who was crying softly and holding his hand against his chest, as if he had just been abused. Gilbert's face reflected what Matthew felt, but Matthew was the first to speak.

"Why would you do that?" He cried, the tears flowing down his cheeks. Matthew was shaking like a leaf, and he was rubbing his hand as if it were contaminated.

"You lied to me…" Gilbert muttered softly, and Antonio sighed to himself, shaking his head and putting his hands into his pocket. To Antonio, it just looked like Gilbert was staring at the wall, but he knew he must be seeing something in his mind.

"W-what?" Matthew hiccupped, wiping away a few tears to look at Gilbert properly, but he was still blurred.

"You _lied_ to me!" Gilbert repeated, his blank stare turning into one of hate and rage. Antonio frowned when he saw the glare, and he quickly grabbed Gilbert's arm.

"Hey, Gil, let's go home." Antonio suggested, but Gilbert tore his arm away and grabbed at Matthew, gripping his jumper and pulling him off his feet. Matthew shrieked and gripped onto Gilbert's wrist, tears flowing even faster.

"I didn't lie to you!" Matthew sobbed, keeping eye contact with Gilbert to show he's telling the truth. However, Gilbert knew the truth wasn't real. He dropped Matthew and ran his fingers through his hair. He was beginning to pant and his face turned red. Antonio became worried, wondering if he was having another one of his attacks. He quickly dug out his phone, opening it to dial Ludwig.

"You told me you were real!" Gilbert yelled, getting a few stares from others. Antonio frowned and tried gripping Gilbert's jacket to pull him towards home as he held the phone against his ear, but Gilbert shoved him back and pointed a threatening finger at Matthew.

"You're not real! You're nothing! If you _ever_ come near the awesome me again I'll… I'lll…." Gilbert was completely red-faced with anger, now, and his shoulders shook as he screamed. The vein in his neck pulsed so quickly, Antonio thought it would burst.

"Gilbert. Home. Now." Antonio tried, grabbing Gilbert's shoulder, only to have the albino turn on him. Gilbert grabbed Antonio's wrist, tugging him forward and putting a flat hand on the Spaniard's stomach, lifting him up and throwing him a good seven feet away. The few spectators gasped as they watched the tan man hit the floor, bounce twice, then slide to a stop.

Antonio groaned, but he didn't get up. Instead, he curled his knees to his chest, and he put both of his hands over the back of his head, covering his face from the panicked onlookers. A few took out their cell phones and called the police.

Gilbert wasn't done yet, though, and he shoved past Matthew, who yelped and bumped into the brick wall behind him. Gilbert marched his way over to Antonio, seeing nothing but red. He bent down and forced the Spaniard up by the back of his shirt, getting a pained groan.

"Gil… wait… I'm… I'm your friend…!" Antonio pleaded when he was turned to face the pissed off German.

Gilbert didn't respond. Instead, he shoved Antonio against the brick wall, holding him up by his shoulder. He drew back a fist, tightening his muscles so hard that his knuckles cracked. Antonio squeezed his eyes shut, still feeling winded from being thrown so roughly. He prepared for the pain, closing his mouth and turning his head away, hoping Gilbert wouldn't break his nose.

Before Antonio could be further injured, however, they both heard a shout from the left.

"Gilbert! Stop!" Arthur's voice rang through the streets, and he ran forward to shove Gilbert away from Antonio, who just slumped to the ground and groaned once again. Gilbert's glare turned from Antonio to Arthur, and he started forward, only to get a gun pulled on him. Arthur held the weapon calmly, his gaze leveled and his breath even.

"Don't come any closer or I'll shoot." He ordered, and Gilbert stopped walking. He was still panting, though, and all he could think of was revenge. Revenge for being lied to by the two people he thought could really help him. He didn't want to be crazy, and to him, he still wasn't. He just wanted to prove to everyone that he was just as sane as they were.

"Get on your knees, lad." Arthur commanded, glancing down at the floor, then back at Gilbert. The German stood still, not bending down and not walking forward. He just continued glaring at the Brit, waiting for when he lowered the gun to attack.

"Arthur… Arthur he needs a doctor. He's not there." Antonio explained, grabbing Arthur's pant leg and tugging on it gently, "It's not Gilbert."

Arthur turned his attention towards the Spaniard to give him a confused look, and that was when Gilbert moved. He quickly darted forward, startling the policeman. Arthur tried firing, but Gilbert smacked the gun out of his hand, then grabbed Arthur by his neck. He squeezed as tightly as he could, getting a choking gasp from his victim. Arthur dropped to his knees as Gilbert kept his grip, and soon the other policemen arrived. They surrounded the three with their cars, and four policemen got out, aiming their guns and preparing to shoot on Arthur's signal.

Arthur waved to them, as if to tell them to stand down, then he patted his belt and tugged out a taser. His face was turning red from the lack of oxygen, and a vein in his forehead was bulging, but he used the last of his strength to flick the on button and press it against Gilbert's gut, getting a startled grunt from the Albino.

Gilbert howled in pain, and so did Arthur. The policemen gasped in surprise as they both jerked and convulsed from the electrocution, and when the taser gun ran out of power, Gilbert collapsed and Arthur doubled over, his hands on the concrete floor as he gasped for air.

"Kirkland!" A few officers yelled, running forward to cuff Gilbert who had been knocked unconscious. When Gilbert was detained, they crouched beside the still gasping policeman, asking if he was alright. Antonio forced himself to his feet, but his head was bleeding pretty badly from hitting the ground. He stumbled over to the policeman and patted his back, getting a weak after-shock from the taser, but he didn't mind.

"Thank you, Arthur." Antonio mumbled, getting a dry laugh from the blond.

"I couldn't…. Couldn't just shoot the… lad…" Arthur wheezed, forcing himself to his feet and taking in a few more deep breaths. When he was ready, Arthur pointed at Gilbert, "Get him to the station, we'll contact his doctor and decide what would be for the best."

"Yes sir!" His underlings obeyed, picking up the limp German and forcing him into one of the cars, then driving him down to the station. Arthur stayed behind to help Antonio stumble his way back to Ludwig's place. In reality, though, they both kind of stumbled there, and at one point, Arthur's legs gave up, and they had to sit on the sidewalk for ten minutes before he could walk again.

When they arrived at Ludwig's house, Antonio knocked on the door. Ludwig tugged it open quickly, a panicked expression on his face.

"I heard through your phone. Where's Gilbert?" He quickly asked, not even saying hello before questioning them.

"At the station. They're going to call his doctor though. What do you think is going to happen, mi amigo?" Antonio asked, and Ludwig gave them a worried expression.

"Oh… Bruder, was hast du dir getan?"


	8. In The Asylum

Right when I was about to post this, I realized I made a terrible typo at the beginning. I accidentally wrote "We had to seduce him before you arrived..." And I was like D: EMBARRASSMENT AVERTED!

* * *

><p>"We had to sedate him before you arrived, in case having visitors excited the patient. He won't be very responsive, but he can still hear you."<p>

"Are you sure this is what he needs?"

"Yes. He's become a danger to himself and others. We need to keep him here until he comes to terms with his schizophrenia and his PTSD."

"How will he 'come to terms' with it if he's sedated all the time?"

"Every day we give him the proper medication, SSRI's, sedatives, anti-hallucinogens…. They all help him push through his mental problems so he can perform like a healthy individual in society."

They stopped walking when they reached a metal door with the numbers '354' engraved below a rectangle that could slide open and shut in order to see the patient. Ludwig looked at the door silently, excited to see his brother for the first time that week, but nervous to see what state he might be in.

"Don't be scared, we've taken the necessary precautions so he won't be able to attack you." The doctor said reassuringly, unlocking the door and sliding it open. Ludwig frowned at the doctor, unsure what to say to his words, then quietly stepped into the square-room. The floors were linoleum, like the hall outside, and the walls were a hideous gray colour with stains and scratched decorating it. There was one bed, and it was placed parallel against the wall across from the door so the light from the single barred off window would shine on it. The bed was empty, though, and the blanket was falling off the edge.

Gilbert sat in the corner of the room, arms bound in a straight jacket and head resting against the junction where wall met wall. He looked dazed out from the sedatives and he didn't even react when Ludwig knelt in front of him. He just stared into his brother's face with an expression that looked like he was a million miles away.

"Brother…" Ludwig muttered, reaching up and placing a hand on Gilbert's shoulder. Gilbert blinked.

"Brother, it's me. Hey, are you okay?" Ludwig asked, but Gilbert didn't say anything. Ludwig couldn't even tell if Gilbert had heard him from the way he was staring.

"Antonio's okay. He had to get some stitches, but, well, it's Antonio, he was excited to get them." Ludwig said softly, forcing a small laugh, then frowning when Gilbert still did nothing.

"Um… T-they say being here is the best thing for you right now…" Ludwig started, searching Gilbert's eyes for some sort of reaction, "I know we don't have a lot of money, but Arthur said he would help pay, and he gave me a job at the station… So…"

Ludwig huffed and gently tapped Gilbert's cheek, getting another blink, but that was all.

"Hey, if you don't like it here, we can find a different place. You don't have to be in this hospital." Ludwig said, hoping to get some sort of nod or grunt. Gilbert just continued breathing, staring at nothing.

"I'm… I'm sorry things ended up this way… I wonder if you would've been happier if I didn't tell you Matthew and Francis weren't real…" Ludwig muttered, and Gilbert's breathing sped up slightly. Ludwig didn't pay it any mind, however, and he kept talking.

"I mean, if I didn't tell you, you would probably find out eventually. Then you'll be mad at me, but at least you'd still be home…" Ludwig sighed, looking over Gilbert's straight jacket. Gilbert's breathing got even faster, to the point that he was practically panting through his nose, and Ludwig frowned and looked up at his face. Gilbert's brows were knitted together in the middle and his eyes were squinted, but he still looked out of it.

"Gilbert? Are you okay?" Ludwig asked, putting his hands on Gilbert's shoulders and earning a weak grunt. Gilbert squeezed his eyes shut, then let out a loud groan as he tugged at his arms which were still bound. When he couldn't get free, he opened his eyes again and looked directly at Ludwig.

"Lu…. Lud… guh… Home…. I… wa-nng… tuh… home…." Gilbert slurred, leaning forward and resting his head against Ludwig's chest. Ludwig's eyes widened and he placed his hands on his brother's back, shaking his head slowly.

"B-but, brother, these people are helping you. They'll make the hallucinations go away." Ludwig tried reasoning, then noticed the doctor peeking in with a frown on his face. Gilbert made a strange noise, something between a sob and a grunt.

"'m…. 'm not… crazy…" Gilbert whimpered, rubbing his head against Ludwig's chest like a cat begging to be comforted.

"I know, Gilbert." Ludwig whispered, rubbing his brother's back, "You're awesome. You're perfect."

"Sir, time is up, you have to leave now." The doctor called out, and Ludwig's shoulders rose as he gripped onto his pathetic brother.

"You'll be okay. When they let you out, you'll be so much happier." Ludwig promised, stroking Gilbert's hair gently.

"Sir, it's not safe in there anymore if the patient is awake!" The doctor yelled, stepping into the room and grabbing Ludwig's arm.

"Not safe? _Not safe?_ It's my _brother!_ I'll determine what's _not safe_!" Ludwig growled, tugging his arm away and hugging Gilbert tighter. Gilbert was just pressing his head against Ludwig's chest, mumbling over and over "'m not crazy…. Wanna go home…."

"Please, we don't want any incidents happening. It'd be wise to come with me." The doctor pleaded, grabbing both of Ludwig's arms and tugging him up and away from Gilbert, who tumbled forward at the loss of Ludwig and grunted. Ludwig yelped and fought against the doctor's grip, but he was pulled out of the room before he could be free.

"Brother! Bruder, Ich mache Ihnen keine Vorwürfe! Ich werde es dir nicht verdenken, wenn Sie entweder zu entkommen! (Brother, I don't blame you! I won't blame you if you escape, either!)" Ludwig yelled before the doctor slammed the door shut and locked it. When he couldn't see his brother anymore, Ludwig stopped struggling and was let go by the doctor.

"Come, I'll lead you to the exit." The doctor sighed, motioning for Ludwig to follow. Ludwig frowned and walked with the doctor, glancing back at the door and wishing he could just take Gilbert with him. When they reached the entrance, Ludwig looked up at the doctor and crossed his arms.

"When can I visit him again?" Ludwig asked, hoping there wasn't some sort of limit to how many visitors Gilbert could have.

"I'm sorry, he's only allowed two visits per week. Any more and he may become over stimulated, then our treatment may not work as well." The doctor explained, smiling a strange smile as he spoke. Ludwig sighed and looked away, thinking about what he should do. They only allowed one visitor at a time, and Antonio and Arthur and Alfred wanted to go see him. Ludwig shrugged, then turned and left the hospital, figuring he should let them see him first before he starts hogging all of the visiting hours.

Gilbert was still lying on the floor of his room, staring at his bed, and more precisely, at Matthew. The blond was sitting on top of the mattress, his legs cross and his arms behind him, propping him up. He wore a frown, and he just stared back down at Gilbert.

"What d'you want?" Gilbert slurred, his lips pushed out from his cheek lying flat against the linoleum.

"I came to see you. They allow visitors you know." Matthew sighed, crossing his arms now and leaning forward, "And I want you to apologize for making me touch some stranger."

"'m not gunna 'pologize." Gilbert sighed, rolling over so he was facing the wall. He heard Matthew huff, and soon the blond was laying in front of Gilbert, their faces close to each other.

"Fine, should I apologize then? You seem angry." Matthew observed, touching Gilbert's straight jacket in a fond and loving manner.

"Yes… you should." Gilbert sighed, not able to push Matthew away or pull himself up since his arms were bound.

"Well, what am I apologizing for?" Matthew asked, moving his hand up to Gilbert's cheek and caressing it, looking into red eyes.

"For lyin' t' me." Gilbert muttered, closing his eyes and enjoying the little touches he was receiving.

"What did I lie about?" Matthew asked, rolling Gilbert onto his back and sitting on him, then laying down on his chest. Their faces were close once again, and Gilbert sighed.

"You said you were… you were real…" Gilbert muttered, his words becoming less slurred as the sedatives he was forced to take wore off.

"But I am real." Matthew said, sitting up and crossing his arms.

"No you're not." Gilbert sighed, looking away from the blonde's cute pout. He rolled over onto his other side so he was facing the bed, pushing Matthew off, then he rolled onto his stomach and shimmied around until he was sitting up with his legs in front of him.

"I am real, Gilbert! You see me, don't you? You can hear me! You can feel me!" Matthew pointed out angrily, kneeling in front of the tired albino and touching his cheeks, rubbing his thumbs against them.

"You're not real! I'm imagining it all! Now go away!" Gilbert yelled, forcing his face away from Matthew's touch. Matthew pouted more, then got up and left, not even opening the door to disappear. Gilbert sighed and lowered his head, shaking it slowly. He kind of wanted to cry, but he knew crying wasn't awesome. Plus, he didn't want the doctors or any of the other patients see him break.

"_Even if I'm already broken."_ Thought Gilbert, forcing a dry laugh at the idea.

* * *

><p>Gilbert was sitting in the dining hall on his own bench at his own table. He kept close to the wall and to the window, constantly gazing out it and wishing he could just go home. It wasn't his fault he attacked Antonio and Arthur. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.<p>

Gilbert sighed and spooned more oatmeal into his mouth. He felt the bench creak from the weight of another person, and when he looked over at who it was, he scowled and dropped his spoon.

"I am real." Matthew said, sliding close to Gilbert and looking into his eyes, "Gilbert, you know I'm real."

"Leave me alone. If they see me talking to you they'll drug me again." Gilbert muttered into his oatmeal. He was able to go three days without being sedated and he was planning to make it four.

"So you admit I'm real?" Matthew asked hopefully, getting another scowl from the albino.

"You're not real." Gilbert hissed, eating more oatmeal and glaring at the table. Matthew sighed and rested his chin against Gilbert's shoulder, looking up at the albino with a frown.

"Hey, if I'm not real, can I do this?" Matthew asked, forcing Gilbert's head towards him then leaning forward and kissing the man. Gilbert grunted in surprise, but his mind quickly went blank as he felt Matthew's soft lips against his own and his wet tongue finding its way into Gilbert's mouth. The albino closed his eyes and kissed back, but only for a second before he turned away and ate more oatmeal.

"That's not awesome, Matthew." Gilbert grumbled, trying to get rid of Matthew's taste with the bland oatmeal, but failing. Matthew bunched his brows together and crossed his arms, glaring at Gilbert.

"What can I do to prove to you how real I am?" Matthew asked, jabbing his finger against Gilbert's shoulder roughly.

"Stand up and yell to everyone, 'Hey, look at me, I'm Matthew, and I'm real!' maybe?" Gilbert suggested, and Matthew's angry look turning into one of nervousness.

"Gil, I keep telling you, I can't do that! I'm anthropophobic!" Matthew whined, latching onto Gilbert's arm and resting his chin against the albino's shoulder.

"You're not anthropophobic, you're just my imagination." Gilbert sighed, finishing off his disgusting oatmeal, then he called over one of the assistants who took his tray and led him back to his room. Matthew sighed and followed them, walking beside Gilbert and putting his hands on his hips.

"Look, just because I don't like talking to people _doesn't_ mean I'm not real! I'm real! Look at me!" Matthew claimed, taking Gilbert's hand and making him touch his face. Gilbert cringed and tugged his hand away, then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back at the man who was guiding him, and the man gave him a curious look.

"Everything okay?" The man asked, and Gilbert dropped his hand and forced a smile.

"Oh everything is _awesome_. Awesome and real." He said, glaring at Matthew and continuing to walk. When they reached his room, Gilbert laid down on his bed and rested his head on his arms. Matthew sat beside the albino, looking down at him and crossing his left leg over his right.

"Why don't you believe me? You believed me before." Matthew sighed, giving Gilbert a pitiful look. Gilbert sighed and began rubbing his forehead, closing his eyes and trying to will Matthew away.

"I don't believe you because I have proof that you're fake. If Antonio and Ludwig don't see or hear you, then you're not there." Gilbert explained, cracking open an eye to see Matthew was still there.

"Oh? What about the note I left you?" Matthew brought up, and Gilbert frowned. He dropped his hand down by his side and thought about it, then looked at Matthew, raising a brow.

"Yeah, what _about_ the note you left me?" He muttered, then he sat up and continued thinking about it. He would have remembered writing it down, wouldn't he?

Before he was able to get far in his thoughts, however, he heard the door unlock and saw it slide open. Gilbert frowned and sat up straight, staring curiously at the doctor who stepped in with a syringe in his hand.

"You have a visitor, Mr. Beilschmidt." The doctor practically sang, stepping further into the room and reaching out a hand to take Gilbert's arm. Gilbert flinched away from the man, though, earning him a rough slap across the cheek.

"I can restrain you, boy." The doctor hissed, grabbing Gilbert's elbow with a bruising grip. Gilbert gasped and tried jerking away, but the doctor was too quick. He forced the needle into Gilbert's arm, pressing down until the contents had completely emptied into the albino's bloodstream. The doctor shoved Gilbert back against the iron frame of the bed, exiting the room and slamming the door shut behind him.

"B-bastard!" Gilbert yelled after him, but he knew it was too late. Matthew showed up in his vision afterwards, walking into his line of sight as if he had been there the whole time.

"What're you doing sitting around here for? Why don't you try to escape?" Matthew questioned, furrowing his brows together and putting his hands on his hips. He was standing at the end of the bed and glared at Gilbert who was pressed against the wall.

"Escape is impossible. It's unawesome here, but I highly doubt this is the worst they could do to me." Gilbert answered, rolling onto the side and allowing the sedatives to run its course. It was already beginning to work, and soon the room was starting to bend and breathe along with Gilbert. Matthew faded into nothingness even, and when Gilbert became so numb he barely breathed, he heard the door open.

"Ay, Dios mio, what did they do to you?" Antonio called out in shock, going over and kneeling down beside the bed in Gilbert's view. Gilbert didn't respond. He was too busy trying to focus on Antonio's face, which seemed to keep moving, as if it was crawling with bugs. He wanted to reach out and press on one of the moving bumps, but his arms felt like cylindrical chunks of lead.

"Hey, Gilbert? You still alive in there? Hey, if I knew they were going to put you in here, I wouldn't have called Ludwig… Well, I guess those pendejos on the street would have called the police anyway, but I promise, I didn't press charges!" Antonio claimed, using his finger to draw a cross over his heart.

"I don't blame you for attacking me, Gil. In fact, I should thank you! I got these awesome stitches! Check it out!" Antonio cheered, lowering his head and parting his hair that was strategically covering a small bald spot, showing a line of stitches. When he lifted his head again, he fixed his hair and was smiling.

"Hey, so I was thinking about what you said before you threw me." Antonio began, sitting on the floor in front of Gilbert and crossing his legs, resting his chin on the bed while playing with the sheets, "And I thought, you know, you're right. I mean, I know I've had my fair share of bed mates and lovers, and I think if someone told me that one of those people were a figment of my imagination, I would just ignore it or say 'oh, oh well', because I don't love them.

"But if someone came up to me and told me, 'Antonio, Lovino is just a figment of your imagination, and if you continue to love him, we'll throw you in the crazy house,' I think I would be a little upset.

"I mean, first of all I would probably punch the _puto_ that told me Lovino wasn't real, and if he ended up being some part of my subconscious, I would still try to love him as a separate person. And I thought about 'why', too. I figure that… that because Lovino is just so different from everyone else… That he's just too much good to have been made up by someone as undeserving as me…" Antonio finished, a dazed look in his glowing green eyes. Then his gaze came back, and his tanned cheeks turned red. He tugged at the collar of his shirt and cleared his throat, looking up at Gilbert who seemed to just be staring through him.

"You… You shouldn't tell Lovino I said that." Antonio muttered, a slightly worried expression on his face. Gilbert was able to blink at the request, and Antonio let out a soft sigh. He rested his head back on the mattress and begun swirling his finger against the sheets, looking bored and in thought.

"It's not that I _don't_ want him to know I feel that way, it's just… I think if I _do_ tell him, he'll leave me for someone else. Someone with no strings attached, you know?" Antonio explained, shrugging and still staring down at the mattress, "I figure if I pretend to just keep him around for sex and making out then he'll stay…"

Gilbert heard enough of this. He wanted to tell Antonio to shut up and use his brain. He wanted to punch the Spaniard in the face and tell him to tell Lovino. But his arms were dead weights and all he could muster out from his vocal chords was a grunt. Which is what he did, and Antonio looked up at Gilbert.

"Hmm? What's the matter?" Antonio asked, poking Gilbert's cheek. Gilbert let out a slow breath, then began grunting, trying to form words of some sort. Antonio just shook his head slowly, a confused look all over his face. The door opened then, and the assistant waiting outside peeked in.

"Come on, sir, we need to let the patient rest." The man said, and Antonio nodded and stood.

"I'll see you later, okay Gil?" Antonio said, waving at the albino who was still grunting and groaning. When the door closed, though, Gilbert forced his eyes to close. He felt disappointed that he wasn't able to tell Antonio to tell Lovino, and he hoped he would do it anyway. He stayed sedated for a while longer, and when the assistant came by with his dinner and his prescribed medication, he was able to sit up properly and eat without making a mess of himself.

There goes his streak of not being sedated.

* * *

><p>Gilbert sat in the music room, listening as one of the other patients played a slow and elegant tune on the piano. Gilbert had pulled a chair beside the man and had his head resting against the side of the instrument, watching the bespectacled man as he pounded out the perfect melody that filled the halls of the asylum. Everyone was required to wear white clothes, and Gilbert had on a white wife-beater with some sweats. The man playing the piano wore a long-sleeved shirt and what could be dress pants. He didn't wear shoes, though, which Gilbert thought was strange.<p>

When the man finished his piece, Gilbert applauded by himself and smiled.

"Hey, that was _awesome_! Did you take lessons?" Gilbert asked, and the man looked at him and frowned.

"No, I haven't. I wrote that myself." The man said, then looked over Gilbert's clothing and frowned, "It's not perfect… Your shirt… It's sideways…"

Gilbert decided to walk away when the man started mumbling to himself, and he made his way over to the three people sitting at the table, drawing. One of the girls there was just drawing swirls and circles on the paper, holding the pen in her fist as she drew. Another looked like she was taking time in her drawings and trying to perfect it, but she wasn't even pressing the lead against the paper. The only guy sitting at the table was using his finger to draw, and was going over a particular spot as if he had ran out of ink.

"You don't belong here, Gilbert." Came Matthew's voice. Gilbert sighed and exited the room, walking down the halls by himself until he reached his room, where he pushed the door open and sat down. Matthew was right beside him, and he stood in front of Gilbert.

"Come on, why don't we just leave? It's weird here, and I don't like it. We can go to the park?" Matthew suggested, kneeling in front of Gilbert and resting his chin on the albino's knees.

Gilbert just stared down at Matthew silently, not smiling and not glaring. He was trying his best to ignore the boy, but Matthew was persistent. Matthew frowned and gave Gilbert a cute look, rubbing the German's knees gently.

"We could do _other things_ too…" Matthew whispered seductively, and Gilbert laid back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. Matthew crawled over Gilbert and tucked some of his hair behind his ear, looking down into red eyes with that seductive look still in place.

"Come on, just talk to me…" Matthew whispered, leaning down and kissing Gilbert's neck, nipping at his skin and whimpering, "Please? I'm so lonely…"

Gilbert continued to stare at the ceiling, pretending he was sedated again and trying to ignore Matthew's lips on his neck. However, when Matthew's teeth scraped against his vein, Gilbert shivered and he closed his eyes, grunting softly.

Matthew pulled away with a smile, and Gilbert glared at the blond. Matthew just laughed softly and leaned down, kissing Gilbert's lips slowly and gently.

"You know I'm real, Gilbert, so just talk to me." Matthew whispered against the albino's lips, looking into the man's eyes with a sadness that made Gilbert's heart ache.

"I just can't believe you." Gilbert muttered, turning his head away. Matthew sighed and sat up straight, looking down at the albino with a depressed expression. Soon, he got off of Gilbert, and walked off, vanishing from Gilbert's sight. The German sighed and rolled onto his side, keeping his eyes closed and trying to pretend he was back at home. He imagined the noise of his brother's heavy step as he cleaned and cooked, and the light, fleeting steps of his Italian boyfriend, striving to help Ludwig with his daily chores.

His imagination was cut short, however, when his doors opened once more to allow entrance to the ward's doctor, who came with a syringe. Gilbert gave a defeated sigh and rolled onto his back, offering up his arm that was becoming scared with the puncture wounds. The doctor laughed softly and knelt beside the bed, not injecting the man yet.

"You've gotten calmer in the past two weeks." The doctor commented, putting a hand on Gilbert's forehead and brushing his messy hair from his face, "I haven't seen you talking to Matthew or Francis, either."

"Yeah, well, I just became too awesome to talk to them." Gilbert said sarcastically, looking out towards the window with a blank expression. The doctor hummed softly, tapping his finger against the syringe in thought.

"I suppose you could go a visit without being sedated." The doctor mumbled, standing and looking down at Gilbert, "It's your brother, again."

Gilbert blinked and looked up at the doctor when he wasn't injected or punctured, and he sat up slowly. "Uh… thanks." He muttered uncertainly, wary of any trick the doctor may be pulling on him. However, the doctor just smiled and exited the room, slipping the syringe into his pocket and humming as he went. Gilbert looked away from the door, feeling confused but happy. He sat cross-legged on the bed, facing the door and waiting for his brother.

Some time went by before Ludwig entered, and when the younger German saw his brother sitting upright and looking mentally present, he let out a relieved breath and practically hopped on the bed, throwing his arms around Gilbert and hugging him tightly.

"Oh, brother, I thought you would be sedated again." Ludwig muttered, hiding his face in Gilbert's shoulder and shaking. Gilbert was surprised by this show of emotion that his usually emotionless brother presented, and he loosely hugged him back.

"Hey, come on, I'm too awesome to sedate!" Gilbert snorted, patting Ludwig's back and smiling down at him, "And what are you doing? You act like you haven't seen me in weeks!"

"Well I haven't!" Ludwig growled, pulling away from the hug and glaring at his brother, "It's not easy being home alone all the time! First I lose Dad and now I have to lose you too? What kind of logic is that?"

Gilbert's eyes widened at the outburst, and he briefly wondered if Ludwig needed a room to himself in this hospital too. He quickly dismissed the thought, though, and he cupped his little brother's cheeks, squeezing them until Ludwig's lips puckered.

"C'mon, West, don't say that! I'm here! I'm still alive and kicking! What kind of brother would I be if I just abandoned you, hmm?" Gilbert questioned, pinching Ludwig's cheeks now and tugging them like play-doh.

"Why d'you call me fwat anyway?" Ludwig wondered aloud, his words stretched out and disfigured like his cheeks were. Gilbert rose a silvery brow and let go of his brother's cheeks.

"Call you what?" He asked, poking Ludwig's red cheeks, wondering if they'll bruise.

"Why do you call me West?" Ludwig elaborated, allowing his brother to poke and prod at him. Honestly, Ludwig missed his brother's touches, even though they were very annoying and quite rough.

"Well, your room is west of mine when facing north. Your room has always been west of mine. Plus, 'west' or 'left' is thought as 'backwards' or 'the past'." Gilbert explained quite factually, shrugging his shoulders as if this should be common knowledge.

"What? How does west represent the past?" Ludwig asked next, getting comfortable on the bed and slouching a little.

"Well, think about when you read a book. You read the words from left to right, so as you progress in the story, you go right. What you've already read is in the past, in the left." Gilbert pointed out, waving a hand in front of him as if to show off how learned he was in this topic.

"So, why does the past represent me, then?" Ludwig continued, raising a golden brow and leaning forward slightly. Gilbert laughed at the question and ruffled Ludwig's slicked back hair, messing up the gel and making a few strands stick straight up.

"Because you're younger than me, West!" Gilbert chortled, pulling the surprised blond into another tight hug. Ludwig let out a strangled cry, but he laughed along with his brother.

"I missed you, Gilbert." Ludwig sighed, pulling away from the hug to smile at the albino. Gilbert just smiled back and sighed.

"I missed you too." He mumbled, then his eyes lit up, "Oh, but the awesome me _does_ have a question! Don't get mad at me though!"

"Huh? Okay, what is it?" Ludwig asked, giving a stern and interested look as he listened to his brother's question.

"So… you know how Mattie isn't real? And neither is Francis?" Gilbert began, bumping his pointer fingers nervously and glancing up to see Ludwig's worried expression.

"Erm… yes, they're not real." Ludwig confirmed, nodding his head slowly. Gilbert glanced towards the door, then leaned in and gripped Ludwig's wrist.

"So… so why was there a note on my nightstand with Matthew's name on it?" Gilbert asked in a whisper, glancing over at the door constantly, thinking the doctor might hear and come to sedate him. Ludwig's brows shot up in surprise, and he frowned more and sighed.

"Okay, well, in some schizophrenic patients, they may go into a kind of… mindless state, where they will do things that they won't remember. If you looked closer at the writing, you would've noticed it was actually your handwriting. Well, with the penmanship you think is 'fancy'." Ludwig explained, getting a deflated and let down look from his brother.

"Oh…. I thought… unawesome…." Gilbert muttered, and the doctor stepped into the room. He put his hands in his pockets and smiled, then he made his way over to the two. Ludwig was startled when the doctor came into sight, since his back was facing the door, but Gilbert had noticed him and sighed.

"Sorry, doc, I guess I was a lost cause after all…" Gilbert muttered, getting a chuckle from the man.

"Actually, I think you've finally come to terms with the truth." The doctor said, putting a hand on Gilbert's head, who looked up at the man in shock.

"I've come to what?" Gilbert gasped, an excited look in his eyes. Ludwig smiled softly and got off the bed, fixing his shirt as he stood.

"Your sentence ends when the doctor believes you've come to terms with what's real and what's fake. You've obviously learned the difference by now. I had called your brother to come get you." The doctor explained, waving a hand towards the blond who nodded and smiled more.

"We're going home together this time, Gilbert." Ludwig said, pushing his hands into his pockets, "I'll be West of you again."

Gilbert bit down on his lip, feeling the prickle of tears at the back of his eyes. He thought he would be in here forever! He refrained from crying, however, since he knew awesome men didn't cry. Instead, he got to his feet, shaking ever-so-slightly, and he nodded and followed the two out of his room and towards the storage hall where they kept his clothes.

He was finally healthy enough in the eyes of society. He was finally deemed safe to himself and others. He was finally normal.

Gilbert smiled more and thought to himself, "I'm finally awesome, right?"

He had to ignore the hollow feeling in his chest to keep smiling.


	9. In The Apartment Complex

Gilbert sat in his living room with Antonio beside him, watching a stand-up comedian rant about fat people and Mexicans. Antonio was laughing pretty hard at the jokes and Gilbert chuckled, but he couldn't understand a few of the jokes. Lately, with all of the medicine he was prescribed to take, his reaction time and level of comprehension has been dulled. Ludwig knows Gilbert doesn't like it, but he makes him take the pills anyway.

Ludwig, by the way, was in the kitchen with Feliciano. They were preparing dinner, and Feliciano was trying to teach Ludwig how to cook certain things in order to make them tastier and more filling. They could be heard talking and cooking, and Gilbert preferred listening to that rather than having to try and keep up with the jokes the man was saying.

Antonio laughed particularly hard, and Gilbert forced a small chuckle, not completely sure what they were laughing about. Antonio began wiping his eyes, slowly coming down from his fit. Gilbert just smiled more and tried to focus on the television, but his mind kept wandering. Soon, he heard the phone ringing, so he sighed and got to his feet and walked towards the hallway where they kept one of the house phones. Antonio didn't pay him any mind and continued cracking up at almost everything the Mexican on the television was saying.

When Gilbert answered the phone, he held it against his ear and said, "Hello, this is the Beilschmidt residence, who is this?"

"Gilbert! Mon ami, please, you have to turn on the news channel!" Francis cried through the receiver, shocking the albino and making him splutter out nonsense.

"W-what? Uh… but… How did you….?" Gilbert stammered, his eyes going wide and his heart beginning to race.

"Don't question me, Gilbert, just turn on the news channel!" Francis demanded, and Gilbert shook his head and slammed the phone down. Ludwig heard the slam and peeked out from the kitchen, seeing his brother standing over the phone with a worried expression.

"Brother? You okay?" Ludwig questioned, his brows knitting together as Gilbert looked over at the blond.

"Uh…. Yeah… Yeah, I was just…. Going to the bathroom." Gilbert muttered, nodding slowly and letting go of the phone, backing away from it. It started ringing again, making Gilbert flinch and Ludwig frowned. Gilbert didn't want to ask, but he wanted to know at the same time.

"Do you… do you hear a phone?" Gilbert asked cautiously, the ringing boring into his mind and echoing in his head. Ludwig raised a brow and shook his head no. Gilbert bit down on his lip and glanced down at the phone beside him. Ludwig stepped out of the kitchen and crossed his arms, looking over his brother curiously.

"Did you take your medicine today?" Ludwig asked, getting Gilbert's attention. The albino nodded quickly, licking his lips nervously.

"Yeah, I took both of them in the morning…" Gilbert muttered, "I know I should take another one later, in the afternoon…"

Ludwig's eyes widened at this, and he uncrossed his arms and swallowed, "Brother, it's already five." He muttered, and Gilbert gave a surprised look.

"Oh… oh _no_…." He muttered, and he quickly darted upstairs. Ludwig glanced at the phone, then followed his brother upstairs to make sure he was taking the medicine. When Gilbert reached the bathroom between his and Ludwig's room, he tugged it open only to find Matthew standing there with his hands on his hips.

"Go downstairs right now and turn on the news!" Matthew demanded, pointing a threatening finger at the albino. Gilbert flinched back and stumbled against the rail to the staircase, gripping the wood as Matthew stepped forward.

"G-go away!" Gilbert hissed, waving his hand towards Matthew to get him to back away, but Matthew grabbed his wrist and tugged him forward. Ludwig arrived just in time to see Gilbert jerk forward, and he frowned and slipped into the bathroom, digging through the medicines to find Gilbert's anti-hallucinogens. Matthew grabbed Gilbert's shirt and tugged him downstairs, immediately getting Antonio and Feliciano's attention.

"Gil? You okay, hombre?" Antonio asked, getting up and moving away from the albino, not wanting to be thrown again.

"Oh, just… being awes-OME!" Gilbert was forced against the back of the couch and he groaned in pain. Matthew put his hand on Gilbert's back and pointed at the remote.

"Channel five. Now." Matthew demanded, and Gilbert sighed and gave in, picking up the remote and flipping the channel. Ludwig had just come down from the bathroom with a pill in his hand when he saw the news. They were currently broadcasting that the apartment complex just across the street from the kiosk was on fire. They showed footage of the scene, and Gilbert stood up straight. Ludwig frowned and looked at Antonio.

"Turn that off! Turn it off right now!" He yelled, and Antonio flinched and dove in front of the television, shutting it off and looking at Gilbert. The German man was frozen to the spot, remote in hand and eyes wide as horrific memories flashed in his mind. Flames blossomed on the walls around him and the floorboards creaked and groaned from the heat and strain. The sound of pounding boots echoed throughout the house, and his own voice from more than a decade ago cried for help, for a savior.

Gilbert felt the flames dancing about his feet, slipping between his toes and scalding his ankles. The heat clawed up his thighs and bit his arms, but he didn't flinch or hiss in pain. He just stared forward at the door that had replaced the television. The door that he needed to go through in order to escape the pain of being cooked into a hunk of charcoal.

He could hear distant voices calling out to him, fleeting touches trying to shake him, but nothing could pull his eyes away from the only source of life. The door. He needed to get through the door. He knew that if he looked away from it, he would succumb to the burning, twisting, hateful fire and surrender his very soul to the cackling and flickering heat source. Nothing would distract him from that door.

Nothing…. Except for Matthew, who appeared before him like an angel. An angel who came to rescue Gilbert from this pitiful and painful life. An angel to claim Gilbert's spirit as his own, instead of handing him over to Satan himself. And along with this blond-haired, violet-eyed angel came his harmonic and soothing voice.

"Gilbert, focus." He whispered, and just like that, his eyes snapped back to the room before him. The television was blank, and half of the screen was obscured by Antonio, who was kneeling on the couch and waving his hand in front of Gilbert's face. Ludwig had a tight grip on Gilbert's arm, shaking him roughly, and Feliciano was telling them to stop messing with Gilbert.

And that was when the actual _location_ of this fire hit Gilbert. And it pierced his mind like a bullet would an apple, scattering brain matter and pulp all along the walls and the floor, and even the ceiling. When he stopped and gathered himself, he shoved Antonio back against the couch, then elbowed Ludwig away and he bolted to the door. Ludwig's eyes widened and he chased after his brother, Antonio and Feliciano not far behind.

"Brother! Brother wait!" Ludwig shouted, but Gilbert left the trio in his dust, practically flooring it to the newsstand at the apartment complex. Ludwig quickly turned back, dragging Antonio and Feliciano with him and he forced them in the car.

"Where's he going?" Antonio asked, getting in the car and buckling up as Ludwig threw it into drive and pulled out of the parking space. He drove as fast as the pitiful lemon could carry them and shook his head.

"I just hope he's not going where I think he's going." Ludwig muttered, literally flooring it in order to catch up with his brother.

Gilbert was running faster than ever before with a concentrated and determined look on his face. He was running faster than he had when he drank those Robusta beans with Ludwig, and they had run pretty damn fast. He skidded around corners and weaved past pedestrians, sprinting his way towards the newsstand with Matthew running beside him.

"Turn this way!" Matthew beckoned, leading Gilbert through short-cuts and over walls in order to reach the newsstand quickly.

"Are you sure this is right?" Gilbert questioned as they ran past a whole street of stores and restaurants that Gilbert didn't remember ever going down.

"Yes, this is right! Oh, wait, what's that?" Matthew gasped, skidding to a stop and going to a window to a music shop, peering in and smiling.

"Matthew!" Gilbert yelped, halting and turning to face the distracted blond, "Hey, we're supposed to be running! There! You know? Fire? Now?" Gilbert whined, waving his arms in the direction they were going to try and get Matthew to get a move on.

"But they're putting _Mother Mother_ CD's on sale!" Matthew whined, getting a loud, annoyed sigh from the albino.

"We'll buy the CD _after_ we're done being awesome! Fire!" Gilbert ordered, grabbing Matthew's wrist and tugging him, making him run once more. As they resumed their running, Matthew's phone began buzzing, making the blond huff.

Matthew dug around in his pockets as he ran, pulling out a cell phone and flipping it open, handing it to Gilbert who held the imaginary machinery to his ear.

"Ah, Gilbert! You saw the news, oui?" Francis asked, and Gilbert nodded, "Good! Is Matthew with you?"

"Yeah." Gilbert panted out, turning another corner only to be greeted by two fire trucks, at least twenty firemen, and probably fifty or more pedestrians who watched the flaming building in shock and horror. Gilbert's heart was racing, but only one thought was in his mind. There was only one thing he needed to do.

He ran towards one of the road blocks and leaned over it, looking at the scene to see firemen carrying out person after person. He looked over each person carefully, not seeing the real Matthew anywhere. When they claimed they emptied the building, Gilbert huffed and vaulted himself over the road block, getting a chorus of surprised gasps.

The albino ran towards the burning building in nothing but jeans, a t-shirt, and socks. Alfred was at the scene, and when he saw Gilbert running towards the building, his eyes widened and he yelled at him to stop. Gilbert paid the man no mind and dove into the pyre, into the heart of the flames.

Immediately he felt sweat form and drip on the back of his neck and his forehead, and he looked around cautiously for stairs. Matthew ran in front of him and motioned for Gilbert to follow, and he did without hesitation. They ran around the front desk and down the back hall that lead to various apartments. Matthew led Gilbert to a blank white door with a sign that said 'STAIRS' at the top, and Gilbert rammed against the door, forcing it open and letting him stumble inside.

The stairs led to the very top of the building and they looped around in a rectangular shape to allow a more compact but useful form of transportation. Matthew started running up the stairs, and Gilbert followed behind. The walls in the stairwell were peeling and cracking from the intense heat, but somehow the fire hadn't gotten in yet. However, the slowly crumbling walls meant that this place was just as dangerous as the rest of the building.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Gilbert yelled at Matthew, his voice barely audible over the sound of crackling wood and creaking foundations. Matthew nodded confidently and continued up the stairs, rushing to reach the right floor

"It said on the plaque!" Matthew explained, using the railing and his own momentum to swing around each corner and bend and continue up the exhausting staircase. Gilbert followed close behind, though, and soon enough, Matthew led the albino through another door, into a hall that gave Gilbert the impression that they were in hell.

The ceiling was crawling with fire, drooling excess flames onto the carpet and down the flowery wallpaper. Gilbert's eyes widened at the sight, and his mind briefly flickered back to his experience. Matthew snapped him out of it, though, grabbing his hand and tugging him into the hellish hallways.

"Gilbert, this way!" Matthew demanded, tugging Gilbert along. The German's feet were getting the scalding of a lifetime, and he wouldn't be surprised if he would no longer feel anything in his toes. The flames seemed to jump at Gilbert, nicking his elbows and chewing away at his pants and sleeves.

While Gilbert ran through the hall, Alfred ordered the other firemen to put the water out. The blond grabbed an axe from the truck and pulled his hardhat back on, heading for the entrance to the building. Just as he reached the doors, though, they shattered, sending glass all over the ground. Alfred flinched back with a yelp, and he stumbled back a few steps, crunching the glass beneath his boots. Right after Alfred backed away, the stone and wood above the door crumbled and caved in, trapping Gilbert and Matthew inside. Alfred was lucky he had backed away, since a particularly large stone had fallen right where he stood. The blond wasn't deterred, however, and he began yanking and shoving the rubble out of the way, hoping to make a path through it so he could get to Gilbert and rescue the crazy man.

The man in question had finally reached the door to Matthew's apartment, and he roughly slammed his fists against it. The knob was too hot to grasp, but he did so anyway, turning the handle and tugging on it, only to find it locked.

"Awesome! Fucking _awesome_!" Gilbert yelled sarcastically, coughing a little afterwards as he looked around for something to smash the door in. Matthew had run down past a few doors and was pointing excitedly at something, and Gilbert ran over and saw an axe and a fire extinguisher behind glass. Gilbert bit his lip, then punched the glass casing until it shattered, cutting up his left fist badly. He paid the pain no mind, though, and he grabbed the axe, tugging the somewhat heavy weapon towards Matthew's door and bringing it down with full force, chopping a thick chunk out of the wood like butter.

When he pulled the axe away, he took in a deep breath of carbon dioxide and soot and struck the door again, successfully cutting out a triangle from the wooden door. He slammed the handle of the axe against the piece, knocking it out of place. Gilbert didn't even look in, he just stuck his hand in and grasped at the doorknob inside, feeling the flames biting his hand and eating away the hairs. When he got the door open, he swung it wide and stepped in, tossing the axe aside and immediately noticing the curled up blond in the corner who was sobbing into his hands and looking up at Gilbert in fear and hope.

The albino forced himself through the curtain of fire that separated the two, bringing his arms to his face to keep from any major burns as he dove through. He bent down beside Matthew, who curled up into an even tighter ball. He was wearing a _Mother Mother_ t-shirt, the same one imaginary Matthew wore when the note was left. Gilbert reached forward to take Matthew's hand, but the blond shied away.

"D-don't touch me!" Matthew wheezed, ending in a coughing fit. Gilbert scoffed at the boy, amazed that he was yelling for personal space during a fire.

"Now is _so_ not the time to be anthropophobic, Mattie!" Gilbert yelled, holding his hand out and not grabbing at him. He didn't want to freak the boy out anymore than he probably already was. Matthew's eyes widened when Gilbert said his name, and he stared at the albino for a few more wheezing seconds before he lifted a shivering hand and clutched Gilbert's palm. Right when they connected, Matthew gasped sharply, eyes glittering with a strange interest. Gilbert wanted to question it, but he knew now was not the time, and he tugged Matthew to his feet. He adjusted his hand so their fingers were intertwined and he began to run with Matthew out of the building.

Matthew was wheezing heavily, and Gilbert had to stop so Matthew could catch his breath. They stood in the stairwell, but the place had become somewhat of a chimney for all the smoke. Gilbert quickly tugged off his shirt and pressed it against Matthew's mouth and nose, and Matthew gave a surprised look, but he held it in place.

"Are you okay?" Gilbert asked, coughing into his fist and running a thumb against Matthew's cheek. Matthew glanced down at Gilbert's hand, then back at Gilbert and he nodded. The albino nodded in response, then bent down and lifted Matthew, carrying him bridal-style and keeping him close against his chest. Matthew yelped when lifted, but he clung to the Albino, pressing the t-shirt against his nose and wrapping his other arm around Gilbert's neck.

Gilbert began running again, pushing through the door to the first floor and continuing forward. Pieces were falling from the floors above now, and Gilbert had to keep stopping and dive out of the way of more crumbling debris. When he reached the front entrance, he saw the pile of wood and rock blocking it. Light from outside filtered through the spaces and gaps, and Gilbert could see the outline of a fireman trying to break the rubble.

Matthew and Gilbert both heard a creaking, snapping noise, and Gilbert knew the building would be caving in any second now. He began heading for the blockage in the entrance, planning to smash through it with his back. He stopped, however, when the last major plank of wood was kicked down, the rest of the debris crumbling after it. The fireman, Alfred, stepped in, and his eyes went wide when he saw a shirtless Gilbert, burnt and scarred, carrying one last occupant who had been missed by the others.

"Gilbert! The ceiling!" Imaginary Matthew cried, and Gilbert glanced up just in time to see the place coming down, about to bury him in a pile of burning wood. Gilbert placed Matthew on his feet and shoved him forward towards Alfred, who grabbed the boy and carried him out of the building, laying him down on the road outside. Matthew jerked away from Alfred's touch when he was safe, and he lowered the shirt so the others could put an oxygen mask on him.

Alfred turned back to see Gilbert running for the entrance, and he was about to go back and get him when the entire building gave up. It shook, then swayed, and finally crumbled within itself, crushing Gilbert who was just about to reach the exit. Alfred was shocked. He didn't know what to do, and he didn't know what to think. Smoke bellowed from the last of the debris, and Alfred could just faintly hear the cheering of the crowd around him, celebrating the safe rescue of that last boy, of Matthew. No one remembered Gilbert had gone in. No one but Alfred and Matthew.

Matthew had seen it too. He let out a horrified cry, dropping the oxygen mask and clutching the shirt to his chest. Alfred was frozen until he heard cry. He blinked at first, then he dove for the building and began shoveling through the debris with his hands, shoving away rock and plaster and wood to try and find Gilbert, hoping the man was still alive. The crowd stopped cheering, and instead began murmuring and whispering, trying to figure out what was going on.

Matthew tried going to help Alfred, wanting to thank the man who saved him, the man he was able to touch without having a panic attack, but the other firemen stopped him, grabbing his arms and pulling him back, away from the scene. They kept the oxygen mask on him, and Matthew shoved them away, not wanting to be touched any more by them, even if they were trying to help.

"Get me a paramedic! Now!" Alfred yelled when he dug his way through to Gilbert's arm. He continued digging, freeing the rest of his torn up and gashed upper body. The paramedics came and they carried the man away on a stretcher, securing him on the bed and rushing him to the hospital with Alfred in the van with him. The crowd was quiet now, and the firemen worked to drown the remaining flames and the smoldering wood.

Ludwig and the others arrived to the scene of the fire in time to see the building gone and the firemen extinguishing the remains. Antonio immediately spotted Matthew, covered in ash and bearing small burns, and went to him, keeping a safe distance away. Matthew looked at the Spaniard nervously, still clutching Gilbert's shirt against his chest and the oxygen mask against his nose.

"Where is he?" Antonio asked, looking down at the shirt. Matthew frowned and took a deep breath, then lowered the mask and shook his head.

"Hospital….With the fireman." Matthew answered softly, his voice barely above a whisper. Antonio looked up at Matthew, then he turned to Ludwig, who was leaning against the car door and watching the two from afar.

"Want to come?" Antonio asked the blond, and Matthew nodded quickly. He ditched the oxygen mask and followed Antonio towards the car before a fireman could stop him and bring him back. He got in the back with Feliciano, and Ludwig started up the car again.

"Hospital." Antonio said, and Ludwig gave a surprised look, but he began driving nonetheless.

"Why is he in the hospital?" Ludwig questioned, looking in the rearview mirror at Matthew who still held Gilbert's shirt.

"The building fell on him." Matthew explained slowly, looking away from Ludwig's gaze. Matthew was extremely uncomfortable, being in such a small space with so many people, but somehow, thinking about going to see the strange man who came to save him when no one else remembered kept the blond from fainting or freaking out.

"Ve, do you think he's okay?" Feliciano asked, a nervous and worried look staining his features. Ludwig didn't answer, and neither did Antonio. They just stared forward, knowing that Gilbert would most likely not be okay. Physically or mentally.

* * *

><p>"He's <em>what?"<em>

"Hey, Pendejo, you better not forget about me! I'm your amigo, right?"

"Let the potato-bastard sleep? Ha! Sleep with a moustache, ass!"

"Ve, who drew this moustache on you? Don't worry, I'll wipe it off. There, you look better. I think."

"Dude, come on, stop playing around, I brought a burger!"

"You git, only _you_ like burgers. Let him rest."

"He's def'nitely lookin' better. I think he'll b' exc'ted t' see ev'ryone."

"Come on, Bruder, it's time you stop leaving me alone. I didn't bring you home from one hospital just to come visit you in a new one."

"Ay, mi amigo, you're going to have the worst bed hair if you don't get up soon!"

"Hey, who erased my moustache? Bastard!"

"Ve? Are you playing with me? I thought I erased that moustache the other day!"

"Alrighty, this time I brought _three_ burgers! Eh? Eh?"

"Stop that! He's not going to eat it if you just shove it in his face!"

"'Kay, it's time t' wake up now."

"…"

"….."

"…..Hey….. Um…. Thank you….?"

"….. you're welcome."

"Huh?"

Gilbert smiled weakly and rolled his head to the side, squeezing the smaller hand that was in his own. He opened his eyes just barely to see Matthew sitting beside him with a surprised expression, but that surprise turned into a smile.

"Did I…. Did I look awesome?" Gilbert asked weakly, closing his eyes again but still smiling.

"Yeah…." Matthew whispered, rubbing his thumb against the back of Gilbert's bandaged hand, "But right now, you look really messy."

"But I looked _awesome_." Gilbert chuckled and Matthew laughed softly. Gilbert let out a soft sigh and cracked one eye open again, looking over Matthew, who had a split lip and a few bandages on his arms. He was wearing the t-shirt Gilbert gave him, but it had been washed.

"I'm sorry…" Gilbert muttered, and Matthew gave him a confused look.

"What are you sorry for?" Matthew asked, tilting his head slightly and looking over Gilbert's face, looking everywhere but his eyes.

"For making you touch a stranger…" Gilbert elaborated, and Matthew's brows rose. He didn't know what to say to that, so Gilbert continued, "I didn't think…. I wanted to know… I wanted you to be real."

Matthew made a confused noise, then shook his head slowly, "I am real…."

The door opened then, and Gilbert glanced over to see Ludwig and Antonio stepping in.

"Oh? Gilbert, mi amigo, are you awake?" Antonio cried, kneeling beside Gilbert opposite to Matthew, who still held Gilbert's hand tightly. Ludwig looked at Gilbert to Matthew, then rose a brow.

"Hey, West." Gilbert greeted weakly, "Hey, Tony…"

"'Hey' my ass." Ludwig grumbled, crossing his arms and standing at the foot of Gilbert's bed, "Hello, Matthew."

Matthew turned towards Ludwig, not even gracing him with a smile, then he looked back at Gilbert and squeezed his hand. Gilbert raised his own brows, then weakly pointed at Matthew. Ludwig nodded, and Antonio smiled.

"We see him, Gil. He's the real thing." Antonio said, getting a confused look from the blond. Gilbert smiled comfortably, then returned Matthew's squeeze, letting out a slow sigh.

"Matthew." Gilbert muttered, and Matthew looked up at Gilbert's nose, still not making eye contact.

"Mhm?" He vocalized, still rubbing his thumb against Gilbert's hand.

"You don't have a home." Gilbert muttered, and Matthew frowned and shook his head.

"I can move in with Papa…." Matthew muttered, and Gilbert scoffed.

"If you're talking about Francis, I know what you're trying to do." Matthew's eyes widened, and he looked down at Gilbert's hand nervously. He still didn't let go, however.

"Live with me. Me and Ludwig." Gilbert suggested, and Matthew finally made eye contact. He opened his mouth to say something, but as they stared at each other, Matthew's throat went dry. Gilbert only smiled and blinked slowly, not breaking eye contact with the violet-eyed man.

"Y-you're crazy. Stop talking." Matthew requested, finally tearing his eyes away from Gilbert and getting a dry chuckle.

"Nah, I'm completely normal." Gilbert scoffed, and Matthew gave him a nervous look.

"Don't worry 'bout it. You can live with us, and Ludwig will give you your space." Gilbert reassured the blond, glancing at Ludwig and seeing the blond roll his eyes and cross his arms.

"I only visit four times a week, too, so you won't see much of me." Antonio joined in, getting a small blush from Matthew. This was the most attention he's had for a long time, and he wasn't sure how to handle it. He wasn't entirely sure about living with Gilbert, either, until the albino squeezed his hand and said, "We're not going to forget about you, Matthew. You're under the awesome me's care."

Matthew gave a surprised look, amazed that the albino knew so much about him, and a little creeped out. However, he felt absolutely cared for, and he knew that Gilbert would probably be the only other person, aside from his dead Papa, who he would be able to touch. And he was starved of human contact.

"Alright, Matthew's living with us." Gilbert announced, closing his eyes again.

"W-what? I-I said n-nothing!" Matthew panicked, but Gilbert already fell asleep. Ludwig sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, then he looked at Matthew.

"Well, now you're living with us. Come on, I'll take you home." Ludwig muttered, motioning with his hand for Matthew to follow. Antonio stood too and went to the door, pushing it open.

"Um… I'll catch up." Matthew muttered, and Ludwig shrugged. He and Antonio left the room, and Matthew turned back to face Gilbert. He let out a shaky sigh, closing his eyes only to see the fire he had been trapped in a few weeks prior.

It wasn't a particularly bad memory though. The only scene that kept replaying in his head was when he had trapped himself in the corner of his apartment, sobbing and thinking this was the end. The end of the anthropophobic and aphephobic Canadian man who was ignored and forgotten by everyone. And just as he came to terms that this was going to be the last minute on this earth, an axe tore through the door, then an arm. This arm snaked around and gripped the handle of the door, ignoring the flames and tugging the door open.

In stepped the albino man, an arc of fire dancing behind him like some sort of holy light, and he stepped through the flames as if it were nothing. Hell, the flames practically _bowed_ to him!

Matthew opened his eyes again, then looked down at the albino. He wanted to see how far his aphephobia would let him go with this man. He knew whatever feelings he may be feeling towards him were most likely just because he had been rescued by him, but he didn't mind. As long as he was able to touch him, to hold his hand and _touch_ him.

Matthew smiled softly, then bent down and nervously pressed his lips against the other man's. He felt a tingling sensation of pleasure and elation flow through him, and he smiled more.

"Thank you, Gilbert…" He whispered, pulling away from the German and letting go of his hand, "For everything." He added, then he turned and left the room, running to catch up with Ludwig and Antonio.

Gilbert smiled.


	10. In The End

Oh, I'm sorry, did I keep you guys waiting? Well, this is the last chapter (I think), so I hope you all enjoyed the story and please don't be mad at me for ending it happily. It just felt right. I hope I didn't disappoint anyone! (too much at least.)

* * *

><p>It begun the night Gilbert returned from the hospital. Matthew was sleeping on the couch downstairs, Ludwig and Gilbert in their own rooms, and at two in the morning, the two brothers heard Matthew shrieking in fear. Ludwig was the first to react, since he had been familiarized with the nightmares already. He bolted mistakenly to Gilbert's room, seeing the albino sitting upright with a confused expression.<p>

The cry came again, and Gilbert threw back his sheets and followed Ludwig downstairs, welcomed by the sight of Matthew's strained and somewhat twisted body and he gasped and panting through the first of many horrific nightmares. Ludwig acted first, knowing he would probably be reprimanded later when Matthew was conscious, and he grabbed Matthew's wrists, tugging them up and getting violet eyes to snap open. Matthew's forehead was practically soaking, and his bangs clung to him, splayed out in various patterns. Matthew grunted and panted in what could have been mistaken as pain, and he jerked his wrists away.

"Brother." Ludwig beckoned, and Gilbert was beside the youngest blond in seconds.

"Go get the sedatives. We'll call Dr. Oxenstierna in the morning." Gilbert ordered, and Ludwig got to his feet and ran back upstairs. Gilbert locked eyes with Matthew, getting a loud whine from the blond as he flinched and jerked on the couch.

"Can I touch you?" Gilbert asked, holding his hands just above the panicking blond and getting a brief nod of approval. Gilbert nodded in return, then grasped Matthew's cheeks, keeping their eyes locked. He let one hand slip down and grasp Matthew's wrist, immediately feeling the rushed tempo of his heart.

"Hey, you're safe, Mattie. You in my house now. The awesome me's house. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, okay? Whenever you see me, you should know this." Gilbert said softly, but quickly, letting his words bore into Matthew's mind. Matthew's breathing leveled out and he stopped kicking. Soon, he was laying still, panting lightly, but calm. Tears begun running down Matthew's cheeks, and Gilbert wiped them away.

"Nightmares are so not awesome, huh?" Gilbert said lightly, getting a weak huff from the blond he was comforting. Ludwig returned with half a sedative, handing it to Gilbert who then pressed it against Matthew's cracked lips.

"Take this and you won't dream." Gilbert promised, getting a nervous and doubtful expression from Matthew. Gilbert smiled at him, then brushed his wet bangs away from his face, "I take them every night, Mattie. They're safe."

Matthew was reassured by this information and he allowed Gilbert to push the pill past his barely parted lips. When he swallowed the pill, Gilbert looked back at Ludwig and nodded, silently telling him he could go back to sleep. When he turned his attention back to Matthew, he patted the blonde's cheek and stood, only to have his wrist grabbed tightly.

"N-no, don't go please!" Matthew begged, looking panicked and nervous. Gilbert's brows rose, and Ludwig stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking over at the two. Gilbert frowned, then ran his fingers through his hair and nodded.

"Alright, move over, let the awesome me lay with you." Gilbert instructed, and Matthew nodded and rolled onto his side, allowing Gilbert to lay between him and the back of the couch. Ludwig continued up the stairs and went to his own room, figuring Gilbert had it under control.

When Gilbert was comfortably spooning Matthew, one arm bent under his head and the other hung across Matthew's hip, his hand held by both of Matthew's own and pressed to his chest. They lied in silence, but Gilbert could feel Matthew still shivering beneath him, his soft breath wavering every time he exhaled.

"What did you dream about?" Gilbert whispered, hugging Matthew tighter and allowing the blond hair to tickle his face. Matthew didn't respond immediately, but when he did, he spoke barely over a whisper, "I dreamt of the start of the fire…. The alarm went off, but it had been faulty for a few days, so I ignored it, along with most of the other tenants. When I smelled smoke, I opened my door to check, and the whole hallway was in flames. I didn't think and I locked myself in the apartment…. I thought I could keep the fire out…."

Gilbert made a small grunt in the back of his throat to show he was listening, gently pressing his fingers against Matthew's chest and feeling his heart beating. After a few more seconds of listening to each other breathe and feeling one another against their body, Matthew spoke again.

"Gilbert…" He breathed, his eyes slowly becoming heavy and his limbs growing weak.

"What's the matter?" Gilbert asked as quietly as his voice could let him. He was a loud person since birth, and it was always a challenge to keep his voice house appropriate.

"I'm scared." Matthew admitted, and his shoulders shivered slightly as if to prove his very words. Gilbert cocked a brow, then pressed his nose against the back of Matthew's head, taking in a slow, deep breath, then sighing, letting the warm air hit Matthew's neck.

"You know what I used to do when I awoke from a nightmare?" Gilbert questioned, even though he already knew the answer to it, "I would take a shower and talk to someone."

"At the same time?" Matthew asked, turning a little in Gilbert's arms to face the smiling albino, getting a nod of clarification.

"I ruined three cell phones like that in four months." Gilbert mumbled proudly, earning a small smile from the nervous blond. Matthew turned back onto his side, facing away from the German man, and a few more minutes passed.

"Will you take a bath with me, then?" Matthew asked slowly, and Gilbert's eyes practically snapped open. Gilbert stared down at the back of Matthew's head silently, then he slowly nodded and mumbled out "Sure…"

Matthew slowly got to his feet, looking back to see Gilbert following after him. Matthew grasped Gilbert's hand, then pulled him upstairs and towards the bathroom. When the lights flickered on, Gilbert went to the tub and began running the water, letting Matthew decide at which temperature it should be.

As they waited for the tub to fill, neither of them undressed. Matthew did tug off his socks, but that was it. They stayed in their pajamas, a simple blue button up flannel and some kind of silk-like pants for Matthew, and a simple pair of sweatpants for Gilbert. They were both quiet and the kept glancing at each other.

When the tub was almost filled, Matthew let out a soft sigh and stepped into the water, allowing his pants to soak up the water and flutter around his ankles like budding flowers in the wind. Gilbert watched him silently, keeping his eyes on Matthew's face as the man slunk down into the water, his shirt becoming somewhat transparent, the water stopping just below his chest. When he was comfortably sitting with his knees pulled to his chest and his arms wrapped around them securely, Gilbert smiled and stepped in too, not even bothering to roll up his pants since they would get drenched when he sat.

They were facing each other now, and Gilbert's shoulder was pressing awkwardly against the faucet, but he didn't complain. Matthew looked over Gilbert's face and shoulders, then he stared down at the water and began lightly running his fingers over the top of it, barely skimming the surface. When the tub reached their armpits, Gilbert turned off the water and Matthew sank in a little deeper. His shoulders were now submerged and his hair was teasing the ripples he made, swirling around with only the tips of those blond locks.

"You can talk about anything you want." Gilbert said reassuringly, resting one hand on the edge of the tub and maneuvering the other towards Matthew, rubbing a finger against his toe. Matthew's nose cringed, but he smiled regardless and he wiggled his toes in response to the touch.

"You know…." He began, staring down into the water, moving his right foot over his left foot as if protecting it from Gilbert's touch, then he slid his hand towards Gilbert, brushing their fingers together, "You're the only person I've been able to touch since I was a kid."

"Really?" Gilbert was surprised, and his brows rose to prove it. He let his hand bob in the water as Matthew lightly skimmed the pads of his fingertips against Gilbert's palm.

"Yeah. I couldn't even touch my own parents…" Matthew detailed, resting his head against the ceramic wall and moving ever so slightly closer to the other, their hands still mingling with one another, "I've only been able to touch my Papa without being scared or nervous. I wasn't allowed to see him, though, and when he died, I thought that that would be the last time I would ever feel another human's hand again…"

"What were you so afraid of?" Gilbert asked, his hand flinching slightly when Matthew's finger brushed against a particularly sensitive nerve. Matthew hesitated at the flinch, but he continued touching him anyway, now pressing his finger against Gilbert's thumb, then following the digit down and around his entire hand.

"I think…. I think I was afraid of being left alone. I didn't want to have to deal with being separated from someone I cared about, so I never created a connection. I became so fearful of being forgotten that I stopped allowing people to know what they might forget. I don't know why my Papa was different, and I don't know why you are too…. But even if I can touch you, it doesn't make me any less afraid." Matthew explained thoroughly, and Gilbert slowly led their hands above water, twisting his wrist around so his hand was no longer in a cupping position, but with his palm faced out, and he allowed Matthew to press his own palm against Gilbert's. Their fingers intertwined, and Gilbert gently pulled Matthew towards him, parting his legs to let Matthew lay against him, his cheek against Gilbert's shoulder. Their hands kept a hold on one another, and Matthew let his eyes focus on that and that alone.

"I'm happy, then." Gilbert said, and Matthew's brows furrowed.

"Happy about what?" Matthew asked, rubbing his thumb against the back of Gilbert's hand.

"I'm happy that I'm different. That I won't forget you." Gilbert answered softly, looking down to Matthew's now relaxed features, and Matthew's eyes fell from their hands and went instead to Gilbert's collarbone.

"I don't believe you." He said softly, and Gilbert laughed just as softly. He turned his and Matthew's intertwined hands so the back of Matthew's hand was facing him, and he shook his head slowly.

"You don't have to. You just have to be patient." Gilbert said slowly, bringing their hands to his lips and kissing Matthew's hand, getting a soft gasp from the blond. He wasn't reprimanded though, so Gilbert did it a second time, then a third.

"What do I have to be patient for? What am I waiting for?" Matthew questioned doubtfully, looking now at Gilbert's nose and frowning.

"Well, you'll have to be patient because I won't be able to prove I'll never forget you in one day. No, I'll have to spend my whole life on it. Every day, every week, every month, every year from now on to the day I die, I'll remember you. And I said my death instead of yours because even if you die before me I'll still remember you. I'd visit your grave every day if I have to, if it proves it to you. And once I'm done proving it, then you can believe me. Once I give out and I have to leave for whatever may or may not be out there, then you can smile and nod and say, 'He was right. I should've believed him since the day we sat in the bathtub together.' And when that happens, I know I won't be forgotten by you either, because that's really my fear too."

Matthew stared up into Gilbert's eyes as he spoke, his entirety completely captured by this silver-tongued and drop-dead gorgeous individual. He swore his heart was echoing throughout the bathroom, and Gilbert just smiled down at the already captivated blond.

Matthew wasn't sure if this was all just really good timing. He wasn't sure if this was because Gilbert had saved his life from a burning and crumbling building, or if it was because he was being taken so good care of by Gilbert and his younger brother. He wasn't sure if this was a fleeting feeling, a temporary ailment, one designed during a troubling and stressful time just to serve as a happy way out.

All Matthew was certain of was that this man he was able to touch, this Gilbert Beilschmidt, he wasn't lying. And even if offered all the money, fame, or bravery in the world, Matthew would never be able to explain, or even _fathom_, how Gilbert seemed so in love with him. He couldn't even imagine why this man who seemed so calm and collected and perfect would dare to push his way into a building in order to rescue some man with one too many fears and a truck of emotional turmoil just so he could sit in a tub of water with him dressed in pajamas.

And his Papa's words seemed to echo in his mind at that moment of uncertainty and wariness and excitement and endearment, whispering in his ear…

"_Matthew, just because no one hears you screaming doesn't mean there isn't someone out there looking for you. You just have to be patient and hold on to whatever you may be clinging to until that person arrives."_

"Matthew?" Gilbert whispered, snapping the blond out of his dazed thoughts. Matthew blinked, then looked down and shook his head.

"I don't understand you, Gilbert…." Matthew said, and Gilbert frowned. He hoped he didn't scare him, because he was absolutely certain that this Matthew was the Matthew he loved, even when no one thought he was there.

"I don't understand you, but…. I believe you now." Matthew finished, and Gilbert's frown was replaced by another happy smile. They stared at each other for a few more silent minutes, then Gilbert shifted Matthew who was still lying against his chest, and he pressed his lips down on the blonde's forehead, getting a shuddering gasp from him, but not receiving any punishment.

"Feeling better?" Gilbert asked, and Matthew nodded slowly. Gilbert smiled more and nodded, "Good."

"Let's go to bed." Matthew mumbled, pulling himself to his feet and letting go of Gilbert's hand. His shirt stuck to his body, crinkled in various places and his pants were wrapped around his legs as if they were vacuum sealed there. His clothes dripped rapidly, but he stepped out onto the bathroom mat, looking back at Gilbert to see him pull the plug to allow the water to drain, stepping out after him.

"Want to lie on the couch again?" Gilbert asked, putting both hands on Matthew's small shoulders, getting the man to look at him and think.

"Let's lay in your bed." Matthew decided with a nod, turning towards the door and stepping out, walking down the hall with small puddles of water trailing behind him. Gilbert smiled at this, then he turned off the bathroom light and followed the blond to his bedroom, keeping the lights off and peeling off his pants, swapping them for a different, dry pair.

"Want to borrow something to sleep in?" Gilbert asked Matthew, who shook his head and allowed his wet clothes to bunch together on the floor before slipping under the sheets. Gilbert slid in beside Matthew, lying on his back as Matthew lay on his side, facing away from the albino.

"Good night, Matthew." Gilbert mumbled, and Matthew nodded.

"Good night…" He whispered, and after a few comfortable minutes of silence, Matthew reached behind him and gripped Gilbert's hand, linking them together without rolling over or pulling Gilbert close.

Just before Gilbert fell asleep, he noticed his own, made-up Matthew standing by the window of the room. He was holding a cell phone that was open, and Francis' voice could just be heard.

"Gilbert, mon ami, I told you everything would get better."

"I'm glad you're happy, too." Imaginary Matthew added with a smile, leaning against the wall beside the window, "I'm never going to forgive you if you forget me, though. Okay?"

"Okay." Gilbert whispered, and real Matthew frowned and shifted in his sleep, but he didn't wake.

Matthew and Francis disappeared, and Gilbert sighed comfortably and closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep, dreaming of closure to what had haunted him for so long.

He dreamt of his mother, who ran to every room in the apartment complex in search for her son who thought she had been crushed beneath the rubble. His mother, who beat down the door to the apartment he was stuck in with an axe just because she had a feeling. His beautiful, brave mother who used her own body to cradle her bleeding and sobbing son as the rest of the building came crashing down on the two, cutting and smashing the woman to shreds and splinters, but never hitting the child she protected.

And somehow, knowing that this was how it all ended made Gilbert feel at peace. When he awoke the next day, he didn't feel the need to take his SSRI's or his anti-hallucinogens because he no longer felt nervous or scared or followed. Instead, he lay in bed, past the time he was supposed to take his medicine, and he watched as Matthew continued sleeping beside him. The slow up and down of his chest, the way his hand twitched slightly from whatever dream he may or may not be having, it all made Gilbert smile and helped the albino decide that he was finally, truly happy.

* * *

><p>"I don't get it at all! That tomato-eating bastard tells me to meet him here and he runs late! What kind of lame date is this?" Lovino complained, propping his shoes up on the coffee table and glaring at Gilbert, who was laughing away at Lovino's irritation.<p>

Matthew was in the kitchen making pancakes, a dish that even Feliciano couldn't rival him with. When he came out with a plate for Gilbert and Lovino, the Italian sat upright and nodded.

"Sweet, at least there's food!" Lovino said happily, taking the fork and digging in. Gilbert quirked a brow, then looked at Matthew and smiled.

"Thank you, Mattie." He said flirtatiously, and Matthew reddened and turned away, heading back into the kitchen to finish making the last of the batch. Ludwig came down sporting a black muscle-shirt that hugged his seventeen-year-old muscles and a pair of dark grey jeans, and he ran his fingers through his slicked back hair, making sure every piece was in place.

"I'll be going out with Feli and I won't be back until tomorrow afternoon." Ludwig announced, almost proudly, and Gilbert waved at him to show he heard. Before he stepped out, Matthew called out to him and motioned him into the kitchen. Ludwig sighed softly, but followed the shy blond and offered up his hand. This became a daily thing, and every time it turned up the same reaction, but Ludwig knew it was a kind of therapy for the man.

Matthew bit his lip and pressed a shaky finger to the palm of Ludwig's hand, flinched away almost immediately and shivering. He hated the feeling of other people's skin, aside from Gilbert's, but he knew he would have to get over his fears at one point in his life. Gilbert was already helping him with his anthropophobia, but he wanted to try and get past his aphephobia first. Which is why Ludwig was the perfect treatment.

"Done?" Ludwig asked, raising a brow as Matthew held his hand against his chest.

"Um… yeah." He muttered, turning back to his pancakes and flipping them.

"Alright, I'm going." Ludwig announced again, and Gilbert rested his head against the back of the couch and called out, "Condoms, West!"

"Hey, bastard, my brother isn't some loose slut, you know!" Lovino hissed through a stuffed mouth. No one could resist Matthew's pancakes. Gilbert looked at Lovino curiously and Ludwig left, then Gilbert leaned forward and shook his head, "But he's so girly, I think he could get pregnant!"

"Shut up!" Lovino snorted, but he was smiling a little. When Matthew finished the pancakes, he brought himself a plate and sat beside Gilbert so their knees pressed against each other. Gilbert didn't mind the closeness, and he patted Matthew's leg comfortingly.

They continued to eat and chat, and about ten minutes later, the doorbell rang and Gilbert got up to answer it.

"It's probably Tony." He muttered as he walked over to the door, grabbing the handle and tugging it open to see the Spaniard standing there with a bouquet in his hand and a smile on his face.

"Whoa, flowers for me? Awesome!" Gilbert chuckled out sarcastically, and Antonio rolled his eyes and stepped in.

"Yeah, right, like I would give you flowers! They're for mi Lovinito." Antonio purred, walking into the living room and smiling at the Italian, who scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"I don't even like flowers, ass." Lovino grumbled, but his cheeks were a bright red regardless. Antonio just smiled and sat beside the boy, handing him the bouquet.

"Why did you tell me to come here to meet you anyway?" Lovino asked, taking the flowers and discreetly smelling them. Gilbert rejoined Matthew on the couch opposite of Antonio and Lovino.

"Because here was closer from where I was at." Antonio explained with a shrug, then he got to his feet, "Plus, Gilbert told me to bring you here, so…."

"Oh yeah, I did, didn't I?" Gilbert gaped, then he looked at Matthew and the blond sighed softly and got up, going to the front door and locking it tightly, then the back door, and finally he sat on the stairs to prevent his and Gilbert's captives from escaping. Lovino raised and brow, and Antonio's eyes widened slightly. He had a hunch to where this was going, and he _swore_ he would punch Gilbert in his face if he did what Antonio was thinking he might do.

"So, Lovino, you're seventeen, right?" Gilbert asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, as if he were interviewing the Italian.

"Uh, yeah? Why?" Lovino asked, a little wary of being locked in a house with a post-psycho and his anti-social boyfriend.

"Just wondering. So, I was talking with Antonio one day not too long ago…" Gilbert began, raising his brows and wearing a smile, even when Antonio yelled at him to stop.

"Gil, this isn't funny." Antonio growled, feeling panic bubble up in his chest. Gilbert ignored him.

"And we were talking about you, in fact, and he told me the most _interesting_ thing!" Gilbert continued, and Lovino's attention was now on Gilbert entirely.

"Gilbert, stop, you promised you wouldn't tell him!" Antonio tried again, but he went unheard.

"What did he say, potato-bastard?" Lovino weakly threatened to hear what Gilbert was saying, eager to find out what it was. His eyes were wide and he had this hopeful look on his face, and Gilbert immediately thought, 'Oh yeah, they're crazy for each other.'

"Well, he told me something really… _awesome!_ He told me-"

"Dammit, Gilbert, you pendejo, don't tell him I love him!" Antonio shrieked, and the room went silent for a good minute. Lovino sat up straight upon hearing those words, and his eyes were wide, but they bore into Gilbert instead of Antonio. Matthew smiled a little and watched the scene unfold from the stairs. Antonio's face drained of all colour, and he could feel all of his rage be replaced with embarrassment. Gilbert resumed his sentence.

"He told me you were interested in birds." Gilbert finished, and Antonio nearly fainted from disbelief and shame. Lovino snapped out of his shock-induced stupor and he blinked a few times, then he looked at Antonio.

"Antonio…" He mumbled, and the Spaniard flinched at the soft tone of his voice. This was so much worse than yelling. Antonio sighed and geared himself up for the scolding of his life, expecting Lovino to start yelling about how they were only supposed to be friends with benefits, having random sex whenever they felt like it, so on and so forth.

"Tomato-bastard! I hate you!" Lovino finally shrieked, and Antonio flinched. Gilbert's smile widened and he watched as Lovino got up from his seat, still clutching the bouquet to his chest, "I hate you so much! Why didn't you tell me? Fuck! I…. I…. Ugh!"

Matthew was quick and he unlocked the front door for the pissed off Italian. Antonio gulped, then ran after him, crying out for Lovino to wait. Gilbert stood and went to the door with Matthew, wrapping an arm around the blonde's waist and watching as Antonio caught up with Lovino, grabbing his arm and tugging him back. Whatever conversation –if you could even have a conversation with a pissed off Lovino- they had, Gilbert and Matthew couldn't hear. However, in the middle of Antonio's sentence, Lovino threw the bouquet at the Spaniard, then wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Oh yeah. I'm awesome!" Gilbert cheered, closing the door and chuckling, "I'm _so_ going to be killed tomorrow!"

"I helped too." Matthew pouted, and Gilbert laughed softly and nodded, trapping Matthew against the wall and caressing his cheek.

"You did. So you're awesome too. How about we share our awesomeness?" Gilbert suggested, and Matthew rolled his eyes and smiled.

"I think you're using my deprivation of human contact to your advantage." Matthew sighed, putting his hands on Gilbert's chest and looking into his eyes. Gilbert shrugged lightly, then pulled the blond into a kiss, enjoying every second of their contact.

When they pulled away, Matthew raised his brows and smiled, "See? You're just using me."

"Tch, 'using you' my ass. You're the one who said yes." Gilbert teased, linking their hands together and tugging him upstairs.

"You make it sound like we got married! I just agreed to live with you for a while longer, that's all!" Matthew huffed, following the albino without much thought. They stepped into Gilbert's room and went to his bed, Gilbert climbing onto Matthew and smiling.

"Still, you said yes. In my awesome mind, that means we're married." Gilbert joked, kissing Matthew again, "Now stop complaining and let me love my husband."

"I still don't understand you!" Matthew huffed, but he allowed Gilbert to touch and kiss and caress, and he enjoyed every minute of it. After their strenuous activities, they both lay together in Gilbert's bed, holding on to one another as they rested. Gilbert sighed softly and kissed the top of Matthew's head before closing his eyes and allowing himself to drift. The final thing he remembered thinking was quite a simple thought.

_So worth it._


End file.
